The presidential race is heating up, but the 2012 Senate races could turn out to be just as important, with Democrats currently holding only a small majority of Senate seats. The Senate is currently composed of 51 Democrats (plus two Independents who caucus with Democrats) and 47 Republicans.
Just this morning, former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) announced he will not attempt to win back his old seat from retiring Sen. Herb Kohl, one of six Democratic senators retiring in 2012. Do you think the GOP can take the Senate in 2012? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Feingold, who would have been a top contendor for Kohl's seat, is instead going to keep his job as a professor at Marquette Law School. Kohl joins Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia, Sen. Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, and Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut (Independent) in announcing a 2012 retirement from the Senate. In comparison, only two Republicans are retiring in 2012, Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson of Texas.
Furthermore, there are 17 additional incumbent Democrat seats up for re-election, whereas only eight Republican seats will be up for re-election in 2012.
With GOP candidates already in line to fight for the seats, do you think there's a chance the GOP could control the Senate in 2012, regardless of who the GOP presidential nominee is?
