CNN Poll Shows Tight Senate Races In Maine And Kansas

A new CNN poll shows the Maine and Kansas Senate races are extremely tight just days before Election Day. The data indicates Democrats have extended their leads in Texas and Michigan while Republicans fight to keep control of the Senate. Democrats need to flip four seats to gain a majority and protect against a Vice Presidential tiebreaker.

Money Floods Final Week

In the last week for the leading 15 contests, advertising expenditures exceeding North of $405 million will occur. This figure comes from AdImpact data as of Wednesday and shows where parties plan to make their last push. Republicans are on track to spend more than Democrats in Senate races with at least $143 million reserved for their top contests.

The GOP is focusing heavily on flipping Michigan’s open seat with $25.5 million for Mike Rogers. They also reserved $24 million to reelect Sen. Jon Husted in Ohio. Democrats spent the most on the Ohio race with $20.3 million for former Sen. Sherrod Brown.

Alaska Spoiler Claims

Minor contenders with zero chance of victory in their individual races might determine Senate control. In Alaska, retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr. shares a name with incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan. President Donald Trump claimed this was an attempt to confuse voters using the state’s ranked-choice system.

“It’s just cheating. They’re terrible,” the president declared at an Oct. 13 rally in Wasilla, Alaska, according to the Washington Examiner. He argued the similar name could cost the incumbent the election. A New York Times report detailed how Peltola aides looked for people named Dan Sullivan to enter the race.

Maine and Michigan Data

In Maine, Sen. Susan Collins faces Troy Jackson in a race with no clear frontrunner. 49 percent of respondents favored Jackson while 45 percent favored Collins. Before submitting their ballots, a minimum of 12.5 percent of the electorate indicate they remain undecided.

Michigan shows Abdul El-Sayed building a lead over former Rep. Mike Rogers. 49 percent favored El-Sayed compared to 42 percent for Rogers in the latest poll. 95 percent of likely Democrat voters say they will support El-Sayed after a contentious primary.

The Spending Gap

For the premier 15 contests during just the final week, Democrats set aside over $119 million. They set aside $18.5 million in Kansas to try and unseat Sen. Roger Marshall. In North Carolina, Democrats spent $6.5 million on former Gov. Roy Cooper who leads by more than 10 points.

Republicans spent nearly $73 million for their top House races. The GOP reserved $7.3 million for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District. South Carolina will see more than $16 million pumped into its race as the contest tightens between Darline Graham and Annie Andrews.