Inside the 2014 Senate Races
Alabama: Jeff Sessions, R
Sept. 30 cash on hand: $2,834,000
Idaho: Jim Risch, R
Sept. 30 cash on hand: $246,000
Kansas: Pat Roberts, R
Sept. 30 cash on hand: $831,000
In the general election, Roberts is a safe bet. The Democratic bench here has been weak since the president appointed former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to serve as secretary of Health and Human Services four years ago.
But local Republicans warn that Roberts could be vulnerable in a primary, citing his vote to confirm Sebelius as one reason for conservative consternation. The most-frequently named potential challenger? Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who garnered national attention for filing lawsuits over illegal immigration throughout the country.
If Roberts changes his mind about re-election, there’s no shortage of potential GOP successors. The Sunflower State’s congressional delegation is filled with four Republicans, and so are the statewide offices.
Mississippi: Thad Cochran, R
Sept. 30 cash on hand: $343,000
But if Cochran retires, expect a wide field of Republicans to jump into the fray. Republican insiders see Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann as a top contender. Other names floated include state Sens. Chris McDaniel and Michael Watson.
If a weak Republican candidate comes out of the scrum, a Democrat with the right profile — someone such as state Attorney General Jim Hood — could well make this a race.
Nebraska: Mike Johanns, R
Sept. 30 cash on hand: $245,000
Cornhusker State Democrats insist they have a strong bench, but it is unclear whether they can offer a strong nominee.
Maine: Susan Collins, R
Sept. 30 cash on hand: $823,000
Maine has Democratic impulses, but Republicans are not concerned about her re-election prospects. They point to her 2008 race. It was a tough Republican year and Democrats put forth a strong candidate. She trounced him.
Even Democrats concede that Collins is in good shape and any nominee they offer will likely be running to build future name identification.
Oklahoma: James M. Inhofe, R
Sept. 30 cash on hand: $622,000
Inhofe runs almost zero risk of a primary challenge as one of the most conservative senators on Capitol Hill. Oklahoma is a ruby-red state, so a general election challenge is equally unlikely.
South Carolina: Lindsey Graham, R
Sept. 30 cash on hand: $4,346,000
But should a competitive primary materialize, two GOP state senators are mentioned as potential challengers, with Tom Davis seen as more formidable than Lee Bright.
But for anyone to challenge the two-term Senator, he or she would need a massive money haul. And that leaves Graham sitting in pretty good shape.
Tennessee: Lamar Alexander, R
Sept. 30 cash on hand: $1,115,000
Alexander is also a boffo fundraiser, which makes any challenge to him a steep uphill climb.
“You will not fund a successful conservative challenger to Lamar out of Tennessee,” one Tennessee Republican operative said. “It would take a national conservative consensus to give him a tough race.”
Right now, that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen, which should give Alexander a clear path to his third term.
Texas: John Cornyn, R
Sept. 30 cash on hand: $2,553,000
Texas Democratic sources say that running a statewide campaign is a two-year endeavor, but no Democrat appears organized at this point. Still, operatives are not altogether willing to rule out a competitive race if the national environment is good for the party. The Democratic bench for any statewide office includes state Sens. Wendy Davis and Kirk Watson, Rep.-elect Joaquin Castro and his brother, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro.
Wyoming: Michael B. Enzi, R
Sept. 30 cash on hand: $301,000
If he does, Enzi should face little competition. Wyoming hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1970. Republican Sen. John Barrasso was re-elected this month by more than 50 points, as was Enzi in 2008.
If Enzi opts against running, a long line of Republican primary candidates could form — and there could be a high-profile GOP replacement waiting in the wings. Liz Cheney moved her family to the state this year, and speculation has swirled that she is eyeing a run for office.
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