2004 Strategic Senate Races

by The ActBlue Team

93
Supporters
20,015
Raised
 

Of the 34 Senate Seats up for election this year, here are seven true toss-ups - even matches, where your donation dollars go the farthest:

  • Pick-ups: Tony Knowles in Alaska, Ken Salazar in Colorado, Brad Carson in Oklahoma are in tight races for currently Republican states.
  • Southern Defense: Six months ago, all the talking heads said that the retirement of five Democratic Senators in the South spelled disaster. But lo and behold, our candidates are running neck-and-neck in places where you might not expect it, like Erskine Bowles in North Carolina and Inez Tenenbaum in South Carolina. It will perhaps come as less of a surprise that the Florida race is expected to come down to the wire as well, where Betty Castor is taking on Bush ex-cabinet secretary Mel Martinez.
  • Senate Leadership: The Republicans are going all-out against Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle this year - help Tom fight back!
We’re only down by two seats in the Senate right now. If we hold the line on the seats we’re defending and score two net pick-ups, we’ll take back the Senate—and, with a Democrat in the White house, the three upcoming Supreme Court retirements will be an enormous opportunity for a progressive renewal across the country.


Spread the Word

Image of Brad Carson

Brad Carson

OK-Sen (Map)

As a lawyer for poor and indigent clients and as a two-term Congressman, Representative Carson (D) has consistently demonstrated his commitment to hard-working Americans. Carson has pledged to bring quality jobs back to Oklahoma and to work for healthcare reform. Carson’s opponent is Tom Coburn®. As a representative, Coburn has blurred the line between church and state, fought hard against any attempts to put safety regulations on firearms, and decried a woman’s right to choose.

Raised on this page: 57 2,139
Raised across ActBlue: 1,327 49,104

This election has ended.

Image of Tony Knowles

Tony Knowles

AK-Sen (Map)

Former Governor Tony Knowles (D) is an Alaskan Democrat who has already shown that he can win on the statewide level. Knowles is campaigning based on his record of job creation as governor, as well as his “Doing it Right” approach to responsible resource development, which protects the environment and creates jobs. Knowles’s opponent is incumbent Senator Lisa Murkowski®, who has been a rubber stamp for the Bush administration since she was appointed to the Senate by her father in 2002.

Raised on this page: 54 1,659
Raised across ActBlue: 1,059 35,645

This election has ended.

Image of Ken Salazar

Ken Salazar

CO-Sen (Map)

Attorney General Ken Salazar (D) has a fantastic record of fighting for the people of Colorado. As Attorney General, Salazar has prosecuted thousands of criminals, gotten tough with white-collar-criminals who attempt to fleece vulnerable citizens, and spoken out against the failures of the Bush Administration to communicate with state and local officials regarding homeland security. Salazar’s opponent is beer mogul Pete Coors®, who is trying to use name recognition to make up for a vague, consevative agenda that drifts too far to the right for many of Colorado’s moderate voters.

Raised on this page: 65 4,059
Raised across ActBlue: 1,096 31,957

This election has ended.

Image of Erskine Bowles

Erskine Bowles

NC-Sen (Map)

Democrats are working hard to make sure John Edwards is the President of the Senate come January. However, we also have to make sure that Edwards’s vacated seat is filled by a Democrat! Erskine Bowles (D) is a former White House Chief of Staff under President Clinton, the former head of the Small Business Administration, and was credited with negotiating the 1997 Balanced Budget Amendment. Bowles has called for increased emissions standards, a reduced dependence on oil, and cleaner energy technology. His opponent is Reprentative Richard Burr®, a North Carolina conservative who was hand-selected to run for the Senate by Karl Rove.

Raised on this page: 66 4,089
Raised across ActBlue: 993 25,544

This election has ended.

Image of Inez Tenenbaum

Inez Tenenbaum

SC-Sen (Map)

Inez Tenenbaum (D) has a spectacular record as South Carolina’s superintendent of public schools. Tenenbaum also represents a strong commitment to the environment and women’s reproductive rights, and she has a formidable plan for creating new, quality jobs in South Carolina. Her opponent, Representative Jim DeMint®, seems content to campaign to his conservative base while attempting to ride the coattails of President Bush. Tenenbaum’s record and ideas for the future of this country make her a great alternative to DeMint.

Raised on this page: 63 2,194
Raised across ActBlue: 1,132 26,761

This election has ended.

Image of Betty Castor

Betty Castor

FL-Sen (Map)

There is a one-word rallying cry this November for Democrats all over the country: Florida! Democrats should be coming out of the woodwork because of what happened in the Sunshine State in 2000. Betty Castor (D), former President of the University of Florida, two-term education commissioner, and three-term state senator, gives Democrats a great chance to reclaim the seat of retiring Senator Bob Graham (D). With Florida sure to be the site of an expensive Republican offensive at every level, Castor needs your dollars to win this race!

Raised on this page: 64 2,374
Raised across ActBlue: 1,208 34,186

This election has ended.

Image of Tom Daschle

Tom Daschle

SD-Sen (Map)

No one should ever have to lose a race because they have spoken out against President Bush. Senator Tom Daschle (D) has often sacrificed political points in his home state of South Dakota, where Republicans enjoy a hefty advantage in registered voters, by criticizing the Washington GOP. Daschle needs our support to defeat John Thune®, who was narrowly defeated in the Senate race in 2002 by Senator Tim Johnson (D). One of Thune’s main campaign promises is to oppose any changes in the Patriot Act, even modifications that would protect civil liberties.

Raised on this page: 60 3,371
Raised across ActBlue: 1,026 24,153

This election has ended.

Total: 00,000