With Democrats defending 23 of the 33 Senate seats up for election in November, the opportunities for Republican pickups abound. Although Republicans will play defense in Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada, they will almost certainly make gains in North Dakota and Nebraska. Republicans have good opportunities to take Democratic seats in Missouri, Virginia, Montana, Florida, Wisconsin, and Ohio—and then there’s the list of Democratic seats that could become competitive.
Put Michigan near the top of that list, say Republicans in the state and Senate race watchers. “Michigan can definitely get competitive,” according to Jennifer Duffy of the Cook Political Report. Two-term Democratic incumbent senator Debbie Stabenow “doesn’t poll higher than the mid 40s, which is not a particularly healthy place to be for an incumbent,” Duffy explains. Although Michigan leans Democratic—the state hasn’t voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 1988—Republican Rick Snyder scored a smashing victory in the 2010 governor’s race when he won with 58 percent of the vote.
