For Fall 2010 elections, voters will select 36 Senators (currently held by 18 Democrats and 18 Republicans); one-third of the 100 Senate seats are up for election every two years. Of these 36, 34 are for six-year terms that begin 3 January 2011; these are Senate Class III seats. The other two are special elections. The November 2008 election gave Democrats a majority: 60-40. In the event of a tie, the Vice President casts the deciding vote.
Special Elections
- Delaware: Ted Kaufman (D- retiring – appointed to replace Joe Biden; term expires January 2015)
- Massachusetts: Paul Kirk (D – retiring – appointed to replace Ted Kennedy; special election on 19 January 2010)
- New York: Kirsten Gillibrand (D – appointed to replace Hillary Clinton; term expires January 2013)
Retiring Senators
- Connecticut: Christopher Dodd (D – race to watch) 6 Jan 2009
- Florida: George LeMieux (R – race to watch)
- Illinois: Roland Burris (D – race to watch – appointed to replace Barack Obama)
- Kansas: Sam Brownback (R)
- Kentucky: Jim Bunning (R – race to watch)
- Missouri: Kit Bond (R – race to watch)
- New Hampshire: Judd Gregg (R – race to watch)
- Ohio: George Voinovich (R – race to watch)
Democratic Senators
- Arkansas: Blanche Lincoln (race to watch)
- California: Barbara Boxer (relatively safe seat)
- Colorado: Michael Bennet (race to watch – appointed to replace Ken Salazar)
- Hawaii: Daniel Inouye (relatively safe seat)
- Indiana: Evan Bayh (relatively safe seat)
- Maryland: Barbara Mikulski
- Nevada: Harry Reid (race to watch)
- New York: Chuck Schumer
- North Dakota: Byron Dorgan
- Oregon: Ron Wyden (safe seat)
- Pennsylvania: Arlen Specter (R seeking re-election as a D)
- Vermont: Patrick Leahy (3rd most senior Senator; safe seat)
- Washington: Patty Murray (relatively safe seat)
- Wisconsin: Russ Feingold (relatively safe seat)
Republican Senators
- Alabama: Richard Shelby (safe seat)
- Alaska: Lisa Murkowski (relatively safe seat)
- Arizona: John McCain (safe seat)
- Georgia: Johnny Isakson (safe seat)
- Idaho: Mike Crapo (has not declared intention)
- Iowa: Chuck Grassley
- Louisiana: David Vitter
- North Carolina: Richard Burr
- Oklahoma: Tom Coburn
- South Carolina: Jim DeMint (safe seat)
- South Dakota: John Thune
- Utah: Bob Bennett (contested R primary)