Breaking down the congressional races
Senate
Control of the Senate is on the ballot in November, with Republicans fighting to hold their majority while defending far more seats in Democratic-leaning states. Current breakdown
54 Republicans, 44 Democrats, two independents who caucus with the Democrats.
Seats on the ballot: 24 Republican-held seats, 10 Democratic-held seats.
To hold the majority, Democrats need a net gain of four seats if Hillary Clinton wins the presidency, as the vice president would break ties; five seats if Republican Donald Trump is elected president. The last time the Senate was tied 50-50 was in the first year of President George W. Bush’s presidency with Vice President Dick Cheney breaking any ties. Likely gains for Dems
• Illinois: Sen. Mark Kirk, one of the more moderate Republicans, recovered from a 2012 stroke and returned to the Senate. He faces Democratic Rep. Tammy Duckworth, who lost both legs and partial use of an arm in a rocket-propelled grenade attack in Iraq. Illinois favors Democrats.
• Wisconsin: Republican Sen. Ron Johnson is in a close race against the Democrat he ousted six years ago, former Sen. Russ Feingold. But Johnson is fighting against a Democratic tilt. Races to watch
• Indiana: Former Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh is trying to get his old seat back. Republican Rep. Todd Young is determined to keep the seat in GOP hands. Republican Sen. Dan Coats is retiring.
• New Hampshire: Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte faces a strong challenge from Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan.
• Pennsylvania: The race between Republican Sen. Pat Toomey and Democrat Katie McGinty is close in a pivotal state.
• Missouri: Republican Sen. Roy Blunt, a longtime member of Congress, is in one of the toughest races against Democrat Jason Kander, Missouri’s secretary of state.
• North Carolina: Republican Sen. Richard Burr faces energized Democrats; former American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Deborah Ross hopes to score an upset.
• Nevada: This is the one seat Republicans have a chance of flipping as GOP Rep. Joe Heck is in a tight race with Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada’s former attorney general. The Senate Democratic leader, Harry Reid, is retiring.
• Florida: GOP Sen. Marco Rubio is in good shape due to a solid campaign and Democrats’ reluctance to invest heavily to back Rep. Patrick Murphy. But Rubio could be in trouble depending on Trump’s performance. Likely to stay GOP
• Ohio: Republican Sen. Rob Portman is widely expected to prevail against former Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland.
• Arizona: Five-term GOP Sen. John McCain is facing a determined challenge from Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, but has maintained a lead in polls.
House
Republicans hold a commanding House advantage with their biggest majority since 1931. Democrats are expected to cut into that edge next month, and with Trump’s declining presidential fortunes are hoping to capture House control. They’d need to pick up 30 seats, a gain they’ve achieved only once since the mid-1970s. Current breakdown
247 Republicans, 188 Democrats. Two of those Democratic seats are vacant after the resignation of Pennsylvania Rep. Chaka Fattah following his conviction on federal corruption charges and the death of Hawaii Rep. Mark Takai in July. The one Republican vacancy was created by the resignation of Kentucky Rep. Ed Whitfield. Incumbents to watch
• Four-term Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., has run ads criticizing Trump in this swing district as he tries to hold off Democrat Morgan Carroll, a state senator.
• First-term Rep. Brad Ashford, D-Neb., represents a Republican-leaning district and is locked in a close race with retired Brig. Gen. Don Bacon.
• Two-term Rep. Robert Dold, R-Ill., faces a rematch against former Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider.
• Seven-term Rep. Scott Garrett, R-N.J., is in a challenging race against Josh Gottheimer, a former speechwriter for President Bill Clinton who’s raised plenty of money.
• Twelve-term Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., is seeking re-election in a reconfigured district against Democrat Stephanie Murphy, a political newcomer.