Politics / Election 2024 Dems on Defense in Senate Race, With Possible Upsets Among them: Ted Cruz vs. Colin Allred in Texas, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell vs. Rick Scott in Florida By Jenn Gidman, Newser Staff Posted Nov 5, 2024 7:31 AM CST Copied This combination of images shows, from left, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in Oklahoma City, on April 13, 2022, and Democratic opponent Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, in Chicago, on Aug. 22. (AP Photo Sue Ogrocki, left; and Paul Sancya, File) Democrats currently claim the slimmest majority in the US Senate, 51-49, but they're playing defense heading into Election Day, almost certainly losing Joe Manchin's seat in West Virginia to a Republican and defending seven seats in conservative or swing states, reports NPR. There are 34 seats in total for the taking, but the Dems have an uphill battle, per the Guardian. The 11 Republican senators up for reelection are in solid red states—but 23 Dem incumbents are trying to hold onto their seats "in states that have become increasingly pro-GOP as Donald Trump has strengthened his grip over the party," the outlet notes. More on where the Senate races stand: Texas: Politico calls the faceoff between Republican incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz and Democratic Rep. Colin Allred "the race to watch." Cruz beat Democratic opponent Beto O'Rourke by just 2.6 points in 2018, and although most polls still show Cruz in the lead in the traditionally red state, some of the polls have been close. If Allred does win, it would be a "massive upset [that] could offset likely losses elsewhere such as in West Virginia, or potentially Montana," the outlet notes. Florida: The race between Republican Sen. Rick Scott and Democratic challenger Debbie Mucarsel-Powell has also become one of the most-watched in the nation, with both offering "starkly different visions" for the Sunshine State, per CBS News. Maryland: The Washington Post reports that this state's Senate race "is the costliest political contest in state history and is critical in any Democratic plan to retain control of the chamber." It also will have historical weight either way: Democrat Angela Alsobrooks would be the first Black senator from Maryland, while Larry Hogan would be the first Republican from Maryland to the Senate in a generation. Other nail-biters: CNN details additional seats with the potential to flip, including Montana (Dem Jon Tester versus Republican Tim Sheehy); Ohio (GOP's Bernie Moreno versus Dem Sen. Sherrod Brown); and Pennsylvania (Democratic Sen. Bob Casey vs. GOP challenger Dave McCormick). Others in play are in Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, and Nebraska. 'Chilling reality' for Dems: The Guardian reports that polls "paint a worrying picture" for Dems in the Senate, with 538 giving Republicans a 92% chance of taking the chamber back as of Tuesday morning. The site also gives the GOP a 49% chance of holding onto the House, and Trump a 49% chance of heading back to the Oval Office. They're numbers that "reflect a chilling reality for left-leaning Americans: Republicans have a decent shot at winning full control of Congress," the Guardian notes. (More Election 2024 stories.) Report an error