Democrats have an uphill battle to hold onto the Senate. 

Democrats control the Senate by a single seat. Of the 34 seats up for reelection this year, 23 are held by Democrats and 11 by Republicans — but seven of the seats held by Democrats are competitive races versus only two of the seats held by Republicans. Plus, the retirement of Sen. Joe Manchin in deep red West Virginia means that his seat is all but sure to go to the Republican candidate, making it tougher for Democrats to hold onto the upper chamber. 

The 19th is tracking six Senate races with women in them — in Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada and Wisconsin — that are competitive to varying degrees. In Maryland and Delaware, women candidates may make history.  

There are also six Senate races in which incumbent women are expected to cruise to reelection: Democrats Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Maria Cantwell of Washington; and Republican Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee.

A few other races could help determine control of the chamber. Sen. Jon Tester in Montana is considered the most endangered Democrat up for reelection this year. He is being challenged by Republican Tim Sheehy, a businessman and retired Navy SEAL. Democratic Sens. Sherrod Brown in Ohio and Bob Casey in Pennsylvania are trying to respectively fend off Bernie Moreno, a car dealership owner, and David McCormick, a former hedge fund executive, in two competitive races in the Great Lakes states.

In addition, Democratic Rep. Colin Allred is mounting a surprisingly strong challenge to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in Texas. 

Here are the competitive races we’re watching with women in them: 

Arizona

Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego is facing off against Republican Kari Lake to fill the seat being left vacant by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who was elected as a Democrat but became a political independent last year. Gallego has represented Arizona in the House of Representatives since 2015, with a particular focus on veterans’ issues, and he has emphasized abortion rights during his campaign. Lake is a newscaster-turned-politician closely aligned with Donald Trump who lost the governor’s race in 2022 by fewer than 20,000 votes and never conceded. When Arizona’s other senator, Mark Kelly, was first elected in 2020 in a special election to fill the seat of Republican Sen. John McCain after his death, it marked the first time Arizona had two Democrats in the Senate since the 1950s. 

Arizona currently has a 15-week abortion ban in place and is one of 10 states that have ballot initiatives this year related to protecting abortion rights, which could impact turnout. Arizona is also a presidential swing state. 

Delaware

Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester currently represents Delaware’s only U.S. House district and is heavily favored to move to the upper chamber. She has the backing of President Joe Biden, who represented the state in the Senate for more than 35 years, and current Democratic Sen. Tom Carper, who announced his retirement last year and pointed to Blunt Rochester as a worthy successor.

Florida

Republican Sen. Rick Scott is competing against former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who has linked immigration, abortion and freedom in her run. The longtime swing state has in recent cycles moved to the right. It too has a ballot measure to protect abortion that will have an unknown impact on candidate races but Scott is still heavily favored to win. 

Maryland

Democrat Angela Alsobrooks, the Prince George’s County executive, is running against Republican Larry Hogan, the state’s former Republican governor. Hogan was a popular governor during his term that ended last year, but Maryland is a blue state — and Alsobrooks has been running in part on Democrats holding Senate control. 

Michigan

Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin is facing Republican Mike Rogers, a former House member and a onetime Trump critic who was endorsed by him in his primary. Slotkin is a former CIA analyst, who served on the National Security Council under Republican President George W. Bush and in the State Department while Democrat Barack Obama was president. She’s part of a group of Democratic women who have figured out how to win in the swing state of Michigan. Hers is one of the most competitive Senate races in the country. Michigan is also a presidential battleground. 

Nebraska

Incumbent Sen. Deb Fischer wasn’t expected to be in much of a race this year, but recent polling has shown that independent Dan Osborn may have closed the gap, putting this race on the map. 

Nevada

Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen is betting on abortion rights to help her beat Republican Sam Brown. Rosen had a well-funded early start and enjoys greater name recognition than Brown, who has never held elected office and moved to the state six years ago. Brown, a former Army captain who was severely injured by an explosion while serving in Afghanistan, has argued Democrats like Rosen are to blame for increases in the cost of living and housing, and has said he supports securing the border and deporting “criminals.” Nevada is also a presidential battleground state. 

Wisconsin

Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin has outperformed her party in this state where elections are often won and lost by the slimmest of margins. Baldwin is the first out LGBTQ+ woman — and the first woman from Wisconsin — elected to the House of Representatives and the Senate. She’s facing Eric Hovde, a wealthy bank owner and real estate developer who has not held elected office before. The race has been closer than initially expected and in its closing days, Hovde’s campaign has highlighted Baldwin’s sexuality. Wisconsin is also one of the “Blue Wall” states that help Democrats win the White House, but this year, it is a battleground.