Freshman Democrat Katie Porter flipped the 45th District in 2018 after defeating incumbent Rep. Mimi Walters (R). Although Hillary Clinton carried it in 2016, the district skews Republican and both parties are expected to get involved in the 2020 race.
Race Briefs
Race Brief: Michigan-03 (Amash)
Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI) has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2011 and has won his last three reelection campaigns by double digits. Amash has had a tenuous relationship with President Trump, and in May 2019 he became the first Republican to call for impeachment proceedings to begin. Since making his position known, Amash has drawn two primary challengers as well as the ire of the President.
Race Brief: Nebraska-02 (Bacon)
Although Republicans have an edge in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, it’s not an overwhelmingly advantage. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) has held the seat since he was elected in 2016, but Democrat Brad Ashford held it previously. Democrat Kara Eastman, who lost to Bacon in 2018, has already announced she is running again in 2020.
Race Brief: North Carolina Senate (Tillis)
Thom Tillis was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2014 and is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, and Judiciary Committee.
Race Brief: Colorado Senate (Gardner)
Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) was first elected in 2014 after defeating incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO). Colorado voted for both Barack Obama in 2012 and Hillary Clinton in 2016; Democrats are expected to aggressively target this Senate seat as a top pick up opportunity.
Race Brief: Iowa Senate (Ernst)
Joni Ernst is Iowa’s freshman U.S. Senator, first elected in November 2014. After graduating from Iowa State University, Ernst joined the U.S. Army Reserves and served for 23 years, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard.
Race Brief: IA-01 (Finkenauer)
Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer was elected to represent Iowa’s first congressional district in 2018. Prior to running for Congress, Finkenauer was a member of the Iowa House of Representatives where she had served since 2014.
Race Brief: Iowa-02 (OPEN)
When seven-term Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA) announced that he would not seek re-election in 2020, it created a rare pickup opportunity for Republicans. The district only has a PVI of D+1 and President Trump carried the district by four points in 2016. Expect Republicans to target the seat in their quest to retake the House next year.
Race Brief: Maine Senate (Collins)
Mainers voted for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in the last two presidential elections. Although Republican Susan Collins continues to have strong approval ratings, Democrats are expected to target this seat as a possible pickup opportunity.
Race Brief: Utah-04 (McAdams)
Utah’s 4th Congressional District is a Republican-leaning swing district that has changed party hands three times since 2012. The 2018 midterm election in UT-04 had one of the closest margins in the country, with Democrat Ben McAdams defeating incumbent Rep. Mia Love (R-UT) by a fraction of a point. This seat is likely to be a top target for Republicans in 2020.