After the 2020 Senate elections, Democrats have finally been able to win the Senate majority.
Now the primary focus of both parties is on the 2022 Senate elections, where many close contests are expected.
With a significant number of Republican Senators retiring, Democrats have high hopes to win the majority easily.
At least four Republican senators, Richard Burr, Pat Toomey, and Rob Portman, and Roy Blunt have already said that they won’t contest again. Since he will be 89 years old at the time of the 2022 elections, Sen. Chuck Grassley is also expected to retire. Similarly, Richard Shelby and Ron Johnson are also looking to take retirement, potentially making the Democrats way easy.
The admission of Roy Blunt of retirement came on Monday, March 8, when he finally decided to retire but did not comment on the reason for his retirement.
It means that Democrats will have seven seats to snatch from Republicans. Donald Trump’s actions would also hinder the path of the new Republican contenders, as the right-wing candidate is likely to face severe opposition from the voters.
Not only this, but the old Senators enjoy the strong support of the ideological voters of the party, and new nominations are prone to resistance from the voters.
If Democrats work on these retirements from today, these elections can be a walk in the park for them. It will be a big win for Democrats, as they can gain a significant lead from the seats of the retiring senators.
The United States Senate is divided into three classes of Senators based on their service terms. Class 3 comprises 34 Senators, all of whom will be up for election in the 2022 Senate elections. This will be a regular election, and senators elected in this election will serve a term of six years.
Class three senators were previously elected in 2016, of which currently there are 14 Democrats and 20 Republicans. The election will be conducted in November 2022 and will decide power-sharing among the Republicans and Democrats.
Which Senators are up for reelection in 2022? Let’s have a look.
Senators up for reelection in 2022
There are 14 Democrat Senators up for reelection in 2022, while 20 Republican Senators are up for reelection in 2022. Following is a list of Senators whose seats are up for reelection in 2022.
Republican Senators up for reelection in 2022:
| Name of Republican Senator up for reelection | State | Additional Comments |
| Lisa Murkowski | Alaska | Easy win expected |
| John Boozman | Arkansas | Democrat challenger Dan Whitfield. |
| Marco Rubio | Florida | Can be a tough call. Democrat challengers include Representative Val Demings, State House member Anna Eskamani, and State Senator Jason Pizzo. |
| Mike Crapo | Idaho | Easy Republican win is expected. |
| Todd Young | Indiana | Easy Republican win is expected. |
| Jerry Moran | Kansas | Likely to face former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the primary. |
| John Hoeven | North Dakota | Easy Republican win is expected. |
| James Lankford | Oklahoma | Easy Republican win is expected. |
| Tim Scott | South Carolina | Easy Republican win is expected. |
| John Thune | South Dakota | Easy Republican win is expected. |
| Mike Lee | Utah | Easy Republican win is expected. |
| Rand Paul | Kentucky | Easy Republican win is expected. |
| John Kennedy | Louisiana | Easy Republican win is expected. |
| Ron Wyden | Oregon | Easy Republican win is expected. |
Republican Senators up for retirement in 2022:
| Richard Shelby | Alabama | Close contest is expected. |
| Chuck Grassley | Iowa | Potential Republican nominees include Pat Grassley or U.S. Representative Asley Hinson |
| Richard Burr | North Carolina | Democrats are pulling up their socks. Former United States Representative Mark Walker, Rep. Ted Budd, former Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest, and daughter-in-law of former President Donald Trump Lara Trump can win the Republican’s nomination. |
| Rob Portman | Ohio | Republicans are vulnerable to lose the seat. Potential replacements include United States Representative Joyce Beatty, Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley, Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein, 2020 presidential candidate Tim Ryan, Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes, and Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley. |
| Pat Toomey | Pennsylvania | His potential replacements include Montgomery County Commissioner Valerie Arkoosh, Rep. Brendan Boyle, Chrissy Houlahan, State Senator Sharif Street, State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta, and former State Treasurer Joe Torsella. |
| Ron Johnson | Wisconsin | His potential successors will be one of Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth or former Governor Scott Walker. Republicans will face County Executive of Outagamie Tom Nelson, who has filed nomination papers from the Democrat side. |
Democrat Senators Up for Reelection in 2022:
| Democrat Senators up for reelection in 2022 | State | Additional Comments | ||
| Mark Kelly | Arizona | Close contest is expected. | ||
| Alex Padilla | California | Democrats have a strong chance to win again. | ||
| Michael Bennet | Colorado | Democrat Michael Bennet will be running from Colorado and is likely to face Republican Darryl Glenn. | ||
| Richard Blumenthal | Connecticut | Likely to face Republican Robert F. Hyde | ||
| Raphael Warnock | Georgia | Democratic senator is vulnerable but can win with some extra effort. | ||
| Brian Schatz | Hawaii | Democrats have a strong chance to win again. | ||
| Tammy Duckworth | Illinois | Democrats have a strong chance to win again. | ||
| Chris Van Hollen | Maryland | Democrats have a strong chance to win again. | ||
| Catherine Cortex Masto | Nevada | Close contest is expected. | ||
| Maggie Hassan | New Hampshire | The incumbent is the weakest link of Democrats. Potential Republican Challengers include retired Army General Don Bolduc, former Senator Kelly Ayotte, and Governor Chris Sununu. | ||
| Chuck Schumer | New York | He can face many challenges in the primary, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. | ||
| Patrick Leahy | Vermont | The decision about retirement is yet to be made. Potential Republican Challenger from the state of Vermont is Governor Phil Scott. | ||
| Patty Murray | Washington | Democrats have a strong chance to win again. | ||
The whole class 3 of Senators are up for elections in 2022, and it will be different than the elections of 2020. It is time for Democrats to identify the weaknesses of the Republicans’ 2022 campaign.
A better look at the election will give them the idea that the retiring Republican Senators will tilt the elections in favor of Democrats.
As only one Democrat Senator is expected to retire, they do not have much to worry about.
However, if the Democrats fail to capitalize on the loopholes of the Republicans, a Republican comeback will expose Democrats, and they can even end up losing their majority, leaving Biden’s presidency vulnerable.
As both Republicans and Democrats buckle up to prepare for the important 2022 Senate elections, some races will be a treat to watch. Others will just be decided according to the trends.
Eli is a Political Data Scientist with over thirty years of experience in Data Engineering, Analytics, and Digital Marketing. Eli uses his expertise to give the latest information and distinctive analysis on US Political News, US Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, and Racial Justice equipping readers with the inequivalent knowledge.