News

Justin Merriman/Getty Images News/Getty Images
These Are The Senators Up For Re-Election In 2018

by Lauren Schumacker

As many are still reacting to the news that Brett Kavanaugh has been officially confirmed to the Supreme Court, the chorus of suggestions, encouragement, and full-on pleading for people to vote in the midterm elections in November continues to grow. But part of being engaged in midterm elections (or any elections) means knowing who's running. Whether you're thrilled with your senator's vote during Kavanaugh's confirmation process or angry as all get out, you might be wondering which senators are up for re-election in 2018 because the midterm elections really are coming up sooner than you might think.

There are actually a number of senators up for re-election in 2018. Though not all of them are in what are predicted to be tough or close races, it's worth knowing who's up for re-election this year and who's not. If you live in a state with a senator up for re-election, you can, of course, vote for the person you think should fill that seat, as well as volunteer, donate, and more. If you don't, donating to campaigns of candidates you believe in and volunteering to help get them across the finish line can be a good way to show your support. Senators can, as you've likely seen throughout the Kavanaugh confirmation process, healthcare debate, and more, make a monumental impact on the lives of regular Americans, so just because it's not a presidential election year doesn't mean that there aren't people on the ballot who need your support.

1

Claire McCaskill, Missouri

Win McNamee/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Claire McCaskill is a Democrat who represents Missouri. She's running against Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley. McCaskill has been a member of the Senate since 2006. This race is predicted to be extremely close — based on recent polling, the New York Times currently has the Missouri senate race labeled a tossup.

2

Dianne Feinstein, California

Alex Wong/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Dianne Feinstein is the senior senator from California, which she's represented in the Senate since being elected in 1992. Feinstein is running against another Democrat, Kevin de León, because of the state's primary system, as GQ reported. So the seat is almost assuredly going to stay in the hands of the Democrats.

3

Dean Heller, Nevada

Ethan Miller/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Dean Heller is a Republican who has represented Nevada in the Senate since 2011. Heller is running against Rep. Jacky Rosen, who was elected to Congress in 2016, Vox reported. This is another close race — it too is labeled a tossup by the New York Times.

4

Joe Donnelly, Indiana

Alex Wong/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Joe Donnelly is a Democrat who represents Indiana. He was first elected to the Senate in 2012. Donnelly is in a tough race in Vice President Mike Pence's home state, where he's running against state Rep. Mike Braun, as the previously-mentioned article for GQ noted. It could go either way.

5

Bill Nelson, Florida

Joe Raedle/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Bill Nelson has been representing Florida as a Democrat in the Senate since 2000. He's running against Rick Scott, the state's Republican governor. Florida's race is also labeled as a tossup by the New York Times.

6

Chris Murphy, Connecticut

Alex Wong/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Chris Murphy is Connecticut's junior senator. He's a Democrat who was elected in 2012. Murphy is running against Matthew Corey, but it's likely that Murphy will keep his seat, as the New York Times noted on its interactive elections page.

7

Heidi Heitkamp, North Dakota

Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Heidi Heitkamp is a Democrat in a red state and cast a vote against Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing, as CNN reported. According to her Senate website, Heitkamp is North Dakota's first female senator. That being said, she's in a really tough race. The Cook Political Report has the North Dakota Senate race labeled as a tossup.

8

Joe Manchin, West Virginia

Win McNamee/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Joe Manchin is another Democrat in a red state. He's represented West Virginia in the Senate since 2010. Unlike Heitkamp, however, Manchin voted in favor of confirming Kavanaugh. The Cook Political Report currently has the West Virginia race labeled as Leaning Democratic, but it remains to be seen what will happen when West Virginians vote in November.

9

Jon Tester, Montana

Mark Wilson/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Jon Tester is a Democrat representing Montana. Tester was first elected in 2006. Tester is running against Republican Matt Rosendale in a tight race, as Politico noted. The Cook Political Report has this race marked as a tossup, while the New York Times has it labeled as leaning Tester's way.

10

Mazie Hirono, Hawaii

Zach Gibson/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Mazie Hirono is a Democrat. She's represented Hawaii as a senator since 2012. It's pretty likely that Hirono will win another term, according to the Cook Political Report.

11

Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin

Kris Connor/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Tammy Baldwin is a Democrat representing Wisconsin. According to her Senate website, when she was elected in 2012, she became Wisconsin's first woman senator, as well as the first openly gay senator. Baldwin is running against Leah Vukmir, a state senator, as the previously-mentioned article from GQ noted, but the Cook Political Report currently has Wisconsin's race listed as a "likely" win for Baldwin.

12

Tina Smith, Minnesota

Alex Wong/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Tina Smith was selected to fill former senator Al Franken's position after Franken resigned due to allegations of sexual misconduct. Smith is a Democrat and was previously Minnesota's lieutenant governor, but her re-election isn't certain. Both the Cook Political Report and the New York Times listed the race as only "leaning" Smith's way.

13

Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Yep, both Minnesota senators are up for re-election in 2018. Amy Klobuchar is a Democrat who was first elected in 2006. According to her Senate website, she's the first female senator to represent Minnesota. Klobuchar is very likely to win her race, according to the Cook Political Report.

14

Ted Cruz, Texas

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Ted Cruz is the junior senator representing Texas and was first elected to the Senate in 2012. He's in for a fight against the Democratic candidate, Rep. Beto O'Rourke, however. The Cook Political Report has this race listed as a tossup.

15

Roger Wicker, Mississippi

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Roger Wicker is a Republican representing Mississippi. He's been a senator since December 2007. It's highly likely that Wicker will win his re-election bid, as the Cook Political Report noted.

16

Sherrod Brown, Ohio

Win McNamee/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Sherrod Brown is a Democrat representing Ohio. He was elected to the Senate in 2006. Right now, the New York Times has Brown's seat listed as "leaning" toward him for another term, but it's hard to know for sure if that he will keep it.

17

Angus King, Maine

Alex Wong/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Angus King is one of a few Independents in Congress. King is a senator representing Maine. He was elected as the state's first Independent senator in 2012, as his Senate website noted. As the aforementioned article from GQ noted, King caucuses with the Democrats and is likely to win another term.

18

Bob Casey, Pennsylvania

Mark Makela/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Bob Casey is a Pennsylvania Democrat who was first elected in 2006. Casey is running against Rep. Lou Barletta, a big supporter of President Trump, but the predictions currently "lean" Casey's way, as the Cook Political Report noted.

19

Deb Fischer, Nebraska

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Deb Fischer is a Republican representing Nebraska. Fischer was first elected to the Senate in 2012, according to her Senate website. There's a pretty good chance that Fischer will keep her seat come November. The Cook Political Report has this race listed as Solid Republican while the New York Times has it as "likely."

20

Robert Menendez, New Jersey

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Robert Menendez was first appointed to the Senate in 2006, Ballotpedia noted. Menendez is a Democrat who represents New Jersey. As the Washington Post reported, Menendez experienced a corruption scandal, but was ultimately not sentenced to prison. The Cook Political Report has Menendez's seat listed as "leaning" toward him.

21

Martin Heinrich, New Mexico

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Martin Heinrich is New Mexico's junior senator. He was first elected in 2012. He also appeared on Rival Survival, a Discovery Channel show, with Jeff Flake, as Politico reported. Heinrich is running against former presidential candidate Gary Johnson and Republican Mick Rich, as the previously-mentioned article from GQ noted. But it's pretty likely that Heinrich will win another term, as both the Cook Political Report and the New York Times noted.

22

Ben Cardin, Maryland

Zach Gibson/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Ben Cardin is a Democrat from Maryland. He was elected in 2006. The Cook Political Report noted that it's very likely that Cardin will win another term in November.

23

Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island

Mark Wilson/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Sheldon Whitehouse is Rhode Island's junior senator. He's a Democrat who was first elected to represent Rhode Island in 2006. The Cook Political Report noted that chances are good that Whitehouse will win another term.

24

Tim Kaine, Virginia

Drew Angerer/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Tim Kaine is a Democrat representing Virginia and, of course, a former vice presidential nominee. Kaine was first elected to the Senate in 2012. Kaine is very likely to win another term, as the Cook Political Report noted.

25

Kirsten Gillibrand, New York

Alex Wong/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Kirsten Gillibrand represents New York as the state's junior senator. Gillibrand is, as the New York Times noted, quite likely to win her race in November.

26

John Barrasso, Wyoming

Alex Wong/Getty Images News/Getty Images

John Barrasso is a Republican senator representing Wyoming. According to Ballotpedia, he was appointed to the seat in 2007 and won the special election in 2008. He was then re-elected to the Senate in 2012. Barrasso also voted to confirm Kavanaugh. The Cook Political Report noted that Barrasso is very likely to win another term.

27

Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi

Zach Gibson/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Like her fellow Republican senator from Mississippi, Cindy Hyde-Smith also voted in favor of Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court. Her seat, however, is slightly less safe than Wicker's, according to the Cook Political Report. Still, she is "likely" to be re-elected in November.

28

Maria Cantwell, Washington

Stephen Brashear/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Maria Cantwell is a Democrat representing Washington. Cantwell is running against the former head of the state Republican party, Susan Hutchison, but is favored in the race, as the Associated Press reported.

29

Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts

Zach Gibson/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Elizabeth Warren is a Democrat representing Massachusetts. Warren is the senior senator and was first elected in 2012. And as the New York Times noted, Warren is extremely likely to win another term as senator.

30

Debbie Stabenow, Michigan

Drew Angerer/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Debbie Stabenow was first elected to the Senate in 2000. Stabenow is running against Republican candidate John James, as the Detroit Free Press reported. Stabenow's chance of re-election is currently listed as "likely" by the Cook Political Report.

31

Tom Carper, Delaware

Alex Wong/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Tom Carper is a Democrat representing Delaware in the Senate. According to his Senate website, Carper joined the Senate in 2001, leaving his position as governor. The Associate Press reported that Carper is running against the former state Trump campaign chair, Rob Arlett. The Cook Political Report noted that Carper is very likely to win his re-election bid.

32

Bernie Sanders, Vermont

Alex Edelman/Getty Images News/Getty Images

You almost certainly know who Bernie Sanders is already, but in case you don't, Sanders is an Independent senator from Vermont. He's the state's junior senator. He's also, of course, a former presidential candidate. He is predicted to win re-election, according to the Cook Political Report.

Though there's still time left before the midterms, they're approaching quickly. Knowing who you might support, whether you'll be voting for a senator or not, is definitely important.