Republicans hold the U.S. Senate 53-47. (There are two independents — Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont — but they caucus with Democrats and therefore should be counted that way in the math for Senate control.) To flip the Senate, Democrats would need to net-gain four seats outright or gain three seats and control of the White House, because in a 50-50 Senate — which is possible this year — the vice president breaks the tie. Republicans can lose up to three seats and hold the majority, as long as President Trump wins reelection.
Iowa’s Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst is fighting to hang on to her seat as Democrats see it as a potential pick up in the U.S. Senate. Her Democratic challenger is real estate executive Theresa Greenfield. This is a much-watched, high-dollar race. Ernst had been the early favorite for reelection, but the race has become a toss-up in the close.
Ernst won her seat by nearly 9 points six years ago, but recent polls show her in a much closer contest this time around. Iowa has emerged as a COVID-19 hotspot in recent weeks, and Ernst has come under fire for repeating a debunked conspiracy theory downplaying the severity of the pandemic.
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