U.S. Senate

2004 Vote | The biggest nail-biter on Election Day might not be the presidential race but the battle for control of the Senate | The Editors

Come Election Night, the biggest nail-biter of all might not be the presidential race but the battle for control of the Senate. Five retirements by Democratic Senators in the Deep South gave the GOP hope for extending its barely workable majority of 51-48 (with a lone independent who leans Democratic).

But several of those Southern seats have proven more competitive than first thought, and Republicans got hit with a few retirements of their own. Now the experts don't know what to expect. Predictions range from a Democratic takeover to a net gain of three for the GOP.

For Election Night parties, here's the statistic to keep in mind: If Republicans win three of the five Southern seats (N.C., S.C., Ga., Fla., and La.), there's no way for Democrats to do better than a tie.