Wampum

Here's a look ahead at the 2008 Senate races. Republicans will have to defend 22 seats, Democrats , only 12. I've broken the group of 34 into two. This post includes states beginning with A thru M.

Alabama: Jeff Session (R) - (12/24/1946). Sessions won the race with 59%, and raised and spent his opponent six to one. This will be Sessions third term. (Wikepedia trivia: In 1986 Ronald Reagan nominated Sessions to the federal bench. The nomination was killed by Alabama's Democratic Senator, who asserted Sessions had shown "gross insensitivity" on racial issues while United States Attorney for Alabama.)

Alaska: Ted Stevens (R) - (11/18/1923). Stevens will be 84 in 2008. Stevens won his 2002 race with 78% of the vote. He has often threatened to retire. Maybe this will be the year.

Arkansas: Mark Pryor (D) - (1/10/1963). Despite being out-raised and out-spent by incumbent Senator Tim Hutchinson, freshman Senator Mark Pryor took the seat in 2002 with 54% of the vote.

Colorado: Wayne Allard (R) - (12/2/1943). This may be one of the most vulnerable races for the Republicans in 2008. Allard won his election in 2002 with only 51% of the vote, and popular Congressman Mark Udall (D) has already said he'll throw his hat into the ring for Allard's seat in 2008. (Udall just won his Congressional race with 67% of the vote.)

Delaware: Joseph Biden (D) - (11/20/1942). Biden won his 2002 race with 58% of the vote, which isn't all that comforting since Delaware is an overwhelmingly Democratic state. However, Biden announced 2005 that he will run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, and his leadership PAC has been raising money.

Georgia: Saxby Chambliss (R) - (11/10/1943). Though outspent by incumbent Senator Max Cleland, former Representative Chambliss took the race with 53% of the vote. However, due to the race being considered particularly dirty, where Cleland, a triple-amputee Vietnam vet was "swiftboated" by Republicans, this could turn into a revenge match for Democrats.

Idaho: Larry Craig (R) - (7/20/1945). Craig easily won his 2002 race with 65% of the vote. It will be interesting to see if recent allegations of sexual misconduct (with men) gain traction and have an impact on Craig running for re-election.

Illinois: Dick Durbin (D) - (11/21/1944). Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin out-raised his 2002 opponent 10:1 and won the seat with 60% of the vote.

Iowa: Tom Harkin (D) - (11/19/1939). As evidence of Iowa trending more "red" in recent years, Harkin only won his 2002 race with 54% of the vote. This seat could end up highly contested if Republicans can recruit a strong candidate.

Kansas: Pat Roberts (R) - (1/20/1936). Roberts won his 2002 race with a whopping 83% of the vote.

Kentucky: Mitch McConnell (R) - (2/20/1942). McConnell won his 2002 race with 65% of the vote. With Bill Frist's retirement, he is now in line for Senate Minority Leader.

Louisiana: Mary Landrieu (D) - (11/23/1955). Landrieu only won her 2002 race with 52% of the vote, and has seen her popularity fall even farther in the wake of Katrina. Republicans have been making gains in Louisiana over the past decade, and this will most likely be a major target for the GOP.

Maine: Susan Collins (R) - (12/7/1952). Collins campaigned in her first Senate election in 1996 on "term limits", pledging she would not serve more than two terms in the Senate. She has recently revoked that promise. Collins won her 2002 race against Chellie Pingree with 58%, but her backtracking on term limits might hurt her considerably, especially should Republicans mount a primary campaign and/or popular and well-funded Congressman Tom Allen decides to finally throw his hat into a Senate contest.

Massachusetts: John Kerry (D) - (12/11/1943). Kerry did not even have a Republican opponent in 2002. However, he appears to be preparing to run for president again in 2008; should he retire, a whole host of popular Democrats are lined up to claim this seat.

Michigan: Carl Levin(D) - (6/28/1934). Levin took his 2002 race with 60%. However, there are rumors circulating that the 72 year old Levin may retire. Recently re-elected Governor Jennifer Granholm probably has the best shot to take the seat for Democrats.

Minnesota: Norm Coleman (R) - (8/17/1947). Coleman only won the seat by 50%, after the tragic death of incumbent Senator Paul Wellstone on October 25th, 2002. Comedian and Air America host Al Franken says he's running for the seat, though other state politicians might throw their hats in the ring. Minnesota has been trending red in recent years, but a populist Democrat might still make inroads in a state hard hit by severe drought in recent years.

Mississippi: Chad Cochran (R) - (12/7/1937). Cochrane won his race in 2002 with 85% of the vote.

Montana: Max Baucus (D) - (12/11//1941). Baucus won his 2002 election with 63% of the vote, a healthy margin considering the overall conservatism of the US mountain states.