US Elections: The Democrats’ Senate majority looks safe

With a week and a day to go until the US elections, here’s a quick run-down of the 33 Senate races. Currently, the Democrats have 53 seats (including two Independents who caucus with them) to the Republicans’ 47, so the GOP would need a net gain of four seats to take control. Back in the summer that looked pretty likely, but most of the races have since moved towards the Democrats. In fact, the Democrats are now more likely to extend their Senate majority than to lose it. The races are ranked from the most likely to change parties to the least likely.

1. Massachusetts (currently Republican)
Ever since Scott Brown won the 2010 special election following Ted Kennedy’s death, he was always going to be the most vulnerable Republican incumbent in 2012. But until the party conventions, Brown looked as though he might just manage to hold onto his seat, with the polls showing a very close race between himself and Democrat Elizabeth Warren.