Fight for U.S. Senate control may not end on Election Day

[applegrove]

Fight for U.S. Senate control may not end on Election Day
By Gabriel Debenedetti at Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/27/us-usa-elections-senate-idUSKBN0IG1PI20141027

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(Reuters) - The fight for control of the U.S. Senate could last far past the Nov. 4 election, with possible run-offs in Louisiana and Georgia and surprising surges by independent candidates in Kansas and South Dakota creating new uncertainty for both parties.

All four states are critical to Republican efforts to pick up the six Senate seats they need to hold a majority of the 100-member chamber, and the added unpredictability could extend the battle for Senate control into December or even early January.

In Louisiana and Georgia, no Senate candidates are polling above the 50 percent level needed to avoid a run-off between the top two finishers. The Louisiana run-off would be on Dec. 6, and the Georgia run-off would be on Jan. 6, the day the new Congress is scheduled to convene.

The picture is further muddied by the rise of strong independent candidates in Kansas and South Dakota who could join the Senate without clear allegiance to Democrats or Republicans. If Senate control hinges on one or two seats, they would face immense pressure from both parties to join their ranks.




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