(CNN) - With 33 seats contested in the U.S. Senate, millions were spent as the GOP sought to re-take the chamber.
Republicans had the advantage of having to protect only 10 seats while Democrats had to defend 23, many in narrowly divided swing states. In addition, several veteran Democratic incumbents, mostly moderates, announced they would retire, making it potentially even easier for Republicans to win those seats.
- Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker
But as the clock ticked down to Election Day, and as certain Republican nominees faced negative headlines in key races, political observers noted it might be an uphill battle for the GOP in the final stretch of the election.
Check back here for CNN's projections of some of the most closely-watched Senate races this cycle.
Wisconsin: Baldwin (D) outlasts Thompson (R), wins open Senate seat
Missouri: McCaskill (D) beats Akin (R) in contentious Senate race
Indiana: Donnelly (D) beats Mourdock (R)
Virginia: Kaine (D) narrowly defeats Allen (R) in expensive race
Massachusetts: Warren (D) beats Brown (R) for Senate seat
Ohio: Brown (D) defeats Mandel (R)
Connecticut: Murphy (D) defeats McMahon (R)
Pennsylvania: Casey (D) defeats Smith (R)
Mississippi: Wicker (R) defeats Gore (D)
Florida: Nelson (D) holds seat, defeats Mack (R)
Maine: Maine elects King, an independent
- CNN's Ted Barrett and Dan Merica contributed to this report.
Why dosen't the media ever cover the other political parties??? Independent, Libertarian, Peace and Freadom. Yes, the Democratic and Republican parites are the largest but if we have a free media, then they should we not be paying attention to only two parties. This maybe why many Americans do not get out and vote, no coverage, no other numbers to be seen or covered!!!! They are Polorized!
Interesting run....I'm not much of a political follower but I feel that when religion and politics coincide with each other it spells trouble. As a nation I think that we can build our economy and in my honest opinion I don't think that 4 years is enough to fix the damage that was done before President Obama. I truly feel that if given another term and another few years President Obama can make an even bigger difference. This is a VERY close debate but whether it's Romney or Obama I hope that there is a true understanding on how much help our economy needs. Working together would be more beneficial than working against each other regardless the party.
I agree Rosa. This recession wasn't going to be easy to come out of. President Reagan's recession was much easier to come out of, because the cause was different.
Neither President Obama or Romney would be able to do too much damage to the economy if elected this time, but I just don't like how far right Romney is, if it wasn't for him being that far out there then I would have likely voted for him. But the President is much closer to the center (and thats saying something).
My Obama won!!!!!!
The twit is probably trying to put together some more concession lies. I wonder what adelson and his wife are doing right now. Probably on their way to the airport to leave Dodge ASAP. How is the twit going to pay for all that money he wasted on him?
OBAMA/BIDEN FORWARD 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No Akin, no Mourdock in the senate, Obama in the White House – life is good!
Yes!!!!! 4 more years
How can CNN forecast (D) Mazie Hirono to win the Senate seat race when HAWAII VOTES haven't even been counted yet?
Obama had done pretty darn well in spite of the House (Congress) who have done everything possible to make him fail. If you look at what he has accomplished he has done a good amount of what he promised in his last race. Did he do everything? No, but he did quite a bit and brought our country back from a horrid recession created by the Bush Administration. The next 4 years will tell the story. I just pray that the Congress will now work with him so we can bring America back. God Bless America!
The economy was the big thing in this election but in reality pressidents don't have much control over the economy. The killed us was all this home owners borrowong money and expecting to pay it back with real estate inflation. They can blame it on banks but without the demand the banks would not have lent the money.
What will turn us around is education. The world is a comptetive place and we need the best education people. But education takes about 20 years. Reforms done now take decades to work.
I love how the Obama clones are blaming the Republican controlled house for all of Obama's failings. Learn some history people. Obama came to power with a majority in both houses and he refused to work with the Republicans. And for a large part of W's time in office, he had to deal with a house the Dems controlled. Keep believing the liberal media, which lies just as much as Fox News. And start learning Mandarin or Cantonese. Because the Chinese are going to own the USA with the way Obama uses debt to solve his problems.
Obama has done nothing for this country but screw it up. People should wake up and realize this. I know Romney aint the best choice but I hope everyone likes the Obama health care plan cuz it wil screw us all. If you cant afford it the Gov't will take it from you. Hope yall who voted for Obama is has cause we will all suffer from this terrible choice. Hope yall are happy with screwin the U.S. out of everything. We will no longer have freedom Because of Obama. He will end the United States and have no regrets.
I hope for the next fours years Obama focus on job creation, who cares about obamacare or foreign policy if there is not job. And I hope he does not go far left.
Well, looks like someone will be wondering if just maybe keeping his mouth shut and being thought a fool by some wouldn't have been better than opening it and removing all doubt for those with working brains completely. Someone else will be wondering if maybe he should have told the far-right to go stuff things and just duked it out in the primary. And a whole lot of someones are going to be back on their heels wondering just what happened to their "sure thing" after their plan to court the extremes blew up in their faces.
All in all a good day.
Tbone!(Not directed directly at you) Did you not hear about Mr. Boener and the rest of the Republican party walking out of the negotiations for the health care bill? or the stimulus bill? Or even the defeating votes by Republicans for the Veterans jobs bill in the house? All of these things would have helped the very people the Republicans are trying to make an appeal to. One issue that I wished would have come up sometime in the last four years, was that...
"If this administration had not spent a single penny during it's tenure, your grandkids grandkids grandkids GRANDkids would still be paying off this debt, so don't pretend that this about my grandkids future."
Simply to get the message out that somehow 11 trillion dollars, is somewhere around 3,417 times less terrible than 16 trillion dollars. They don't even have to account for the 2-3 trillion dollars that were never put on the budget to begin with. Yes, I am bringing up the Iraq war. I have to pay for that mistake, you should have to pay for teachers or policeman/firefighters/emt's/etc. if you have to call it a mistake for justification.
Why can't you Republicans accept you've been grand obstructionists? Your leader in the senate, McConnell, had an objective. That was to make Obama a one term president; not jobs or getting the economy going. Now you've been rejected. Etch a sketch waffler Mitt and queen Anne can go back to investing in companies that ship Jobs to China.