The 2022 midterm elections are fast approaching and could be a major test of both voter approval of President Joe Biden and the strength of former President Donald Trump's influence within the Republican party.
Republicans are looking to regain control of both the Senate and the House in 2022 as Democrats try to preserve and build on a razor-thin majority.
While many swing states are still working to finalize their congressional districts, here are some key races to watch in 2022:
Arizona Senate race
Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly is running for reelection after winning a special election in 2020, giving Arizona two Democrats in the Senate for the first time in over 50 years. Arizona has moved into solidly purple territory and a crowded Republican primary field has lined up in an attempt to unseat Kelly. Current Attorney General Mark Brnovich is in the running, as is Blake Masters, who has backing from prominent Silicon Valley executive Peter Thiel and businessman Jim Lamon. The 2020 election is playing a central role in the wake of Arizona's so-called "audit" and Trump's lies that the election in the state was stolen. The former president has yet to endorse in the race.
Pennsylvania Senate race
With Republican Sen. Pat Toomey not seeking reelection, Pennsylvania is one state Democrats are hoping to pick up in 2022. Rep. Conor Lamb, a moderate, is facing Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and progressive state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta in the Democratic primary. In late November, Dr. Mehmet Oz announced his candidacy, joining a crowded Republican primary field.
Ohio Senate race
With the retirement of Republican Sen. Rob Portman, former presidential candidate Rep. Tim Ryan is looking to pick up this seat for Democrats. In the GOP primary, Ohio treasurer Josh Mandel -- considered the front-runner -- faces "Hillbilly Elegy" author JD Vance, who was once a vocal critic of Trump but is now running on an anti-elitism message that embraces Trumpism.
North Carolina Senate race
Republicans are hoping to hold the seat of retiring Sen. Richard Burr. In the Republican primary, Trump has thrown his support behind Rep. Ted Budd, who faces a tough battle against former Rep. Mark Walker and former Gov. Pat McCrory. Democratic state Sen. Jeff Jackson suspended his campaign in mid-December and threw his support behind former state Supreme Court Justice Chari Beasley, who is the leading Democrat and could become the only Black woman in the Senate and the first ever to represent North Carolina.
Georgia Senate race
Only two years after being elected as the first Black Senator from Georgia and delivering Democrats control of the Senate in 2020, Sen. Raphael Warnock is back in the national spotlight defending his seat. On the GOP side, former football star Herschel Walker is seen as the front-runner to challenge Warnock and has Trump's endorsement. But Walker's lack of political experience and a troubled history has some Republicans worried.
Wisconsin Senate race
Incumbent Republican Sen. Ron Johnson still has not announced whether he will run for reelection in Wisconsin, which Biden flipped with a roughly 20,000-vote lead over Trump in 2020. Current Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes is the top Democrat in the race and has netted endorsements from Sen. Elizabeth Warren and House Majority Whip James Clyburn. Johnson has received pushback on some of his responses to the pandemic, including frequent anti-vaccine rhetoric.
Alaska Senate race
After incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted to convict Trump on charges of inciting an insurrection, state official Kelly Tshibaka jumped into the all-party primary to unseat her. Tshibaka netted an early endorsement from the former president and has mirrored his attacks on Murkowski and others in Washington throughout her campaign. She recently said she would not support Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to lead the GOP -- whether or not the party controls the Senate -- joining a small group of far-right Republican hopefuls who have said the same.
Georgia governor race
It feels like 2018 all over again, with a possible rematch between Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams and Republican Gov. Brian Kemp for his seat in Georgia. It's been nearly four years since Kemp narrowly defeated Abrams, pushing her to mobilize voters and fight voter suppression. However, Kemp has to get through a tough primary in which he is facing off against former Republican Sen. David Perdue, who lost his Senate seat in 2020. Perdue has secured Trump's endorsement and is echoing the former president's false claim of voter fraud in the 2020 election.
Michigan governor race
Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is pursuing a reelection bid after Biden flipped the state in 2020. Whitmer has received national recognition for her handling of the coronavirus pandemic and became a prominent figure before the 2020 election during Biden's hunt for a running mate. She was subject to a kidnapping plot in late 2020 after an extremist group in the state became angry with her over coronavirus restrictions. Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, who was once a Democrat, is a top contender in the crowded Republican primary.
Wyoming House race
Rep. Liz Cheney has a target on her back this midterm election cycle. As one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in 2021 for inciting an insurrection, she was censured by the Wyoming GOP, and many Republicans are looking to kick her out of office. Trump has gotten involved in Wyoming's lone House race by throwing his endorsement behind Cheney's primary challenger, Harriet Hageman.
