Currently, Republicans control the Senate in a 53 – 47 majority. 35 seats are up for re-election on Tuesday, which could swing the majority either way.
If the Republicans keep their majority in the Senate, and Biden becomes President, he will not be able to pass legislation on important issues such as healthcare, immigration and climate change. If there is a 50-50 tie, the sitting VP breaks it, so if Biden wins, Democrats need 2 seats, and if Trump wins, they need 3.
Currently, the toss up states are Maine, North Carolina, Iowa, Georgia, Montana, and South Carolina.
The Democrats’ best chances are Maine, North Carolina and Iowa. In all three states, the Republican Senators have grown unpopular because of Trumps’s rhetoric, and polls show the races to be neck-and-neck.
Maine’s long-time Republican Senator, Susan Collins, has grown unpopular because of her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. North Carolina’s conservative Senator Thom Tillis has defended Trump’s response to the coronavirus, and his decision to let the Republican National Convention take place in North Carolina has cost him many voters.
The race for the control of the Senate has become increasingly competitive this election cycle, and can go either way. For the President to be successful in passing legislation, they will need a majority in the Senate.
