U.S. election: Key Senate battlegrounds ---------------------------------------------- Republicans hold a majority in the U.S. Senate, with Democrats needing to pick up three or four seats to take back the chamber, depending on which party wins control of the vice presidency ---------------------------------------------- Democrats 2020 SENATE RACE RATINGS Republicans Safe Likely Leaning Toss-up Leaning Likely Safe NH OR ME MTMN MA IDWYSD MI RI NE IA NJ IL KY WV VA DE CO AZ NM KS OK TX TN NC AR MS AL GA1 SC LA GA2 AK Data as of Sep 16 35Total number of seats up for election – 23 of them Republican ---------------------------------------------- CURRENT SENATE 51 seats needed for majority If parties are split 50-50, Vice President’s vote gives majority Dem* 53 Rep 47 100 seats *Two independent senators caucus with Democrats --------------------------------------------- VULNERABLE REPUBLICAN SENATORS ARIZONA: Democratic challenger Mark Kelly leads Martha McSally by average of almost 9 percentage points in opinion polls ---------------------------------------------- COLORADO: Democrat John Hickenlooper leads Cory Gardner in polls. State has gone Democrat in last three presidential elections ---------------------------------------------- IOWA: Democratic challenger Theresa Greenfield running neck-and-neck against first-term senator Joni Ernst ---------------------------------------------- MAINE: Democrat Sara Gideon has led four-term senator Susan Collins by several points for months in polls ---------------------------------------------- MONTANA: Senator Steve Daines in tight re-election bid against Montana’s two-term Democrat Governor Steve Bullock ---------------------------------------------- NORTH CAROLINA Thom Tillis trails his Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham by poll average of more than three points ---------------------------------------------- Sources: RealClearPolitics, Reuters Pictures: Associated Press, Facebook © GRAPHIC NEWS