State-by-state lookahead: What's at stake in 2008
— -- A cross-country look at the races, issues and people on the radar as the USA counts down to election 2008.
Click on a state name to jump to its summary or scroll through the whole roundup: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Alabama
Democratic state Sen. Vivian Davis Figures has an uphill battle in her bid to become the state's first black U.S. senator. She faces two-term Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions, who easily won re-election in 2002.
In 2006, Alabama had the second most expensive judicial race in U.S. history, which ultimately saw $8.2 million spent and Sue Bell Cobb elected the lone Democrat on the nine-member state Supreme Court. With Harold See announcing in July that he will not seek re-election, Alabama could see another costly battle.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's nine electoral votes with 62% of the vote.
Alaska
Scandals tied to an influential Alaska oil contractor could jeopardize the re-election hopes of two of Alaska's longest-serving politicians. A home belonging to Republican Sen. Ted Stevens was raided by federal agents in July as part of a probe into whether Stevens received illegal gifts and violated campaign laws. Law enforcement is looking into similar allegations involving fellow Republican Don Young, Alaska's only U.S. representative since 1973.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's three electoral votes with 61% of the vote.
Arizona
Under federal investigation for a land swap with a campaign donor, Republican Rep. Rick Renzi has announced that he will not seek re-election. More than a half dozen Democrats and Republicans have lined up for that seat. Democrats will also try to maintain two seats wrested from Republican control in 2006, by freshmen Reps. Gabrielle Giffords and Harry Mitchell.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's 10 electoral votes with 55% of the vote.
Arkansas
Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor is a freshman who won his seat in what was then the most expensive political race in state history. No Republican has stepped up yet to challenge in 2008. Former governor Mike Huckabee might not be the best known presidential candidate nationally, but the Republican raised as much money in his home state of Arkansas as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was Arkansas' first lady for 12 years.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's six electoral votes with 54% of the vote.
California
Under a federal investigation for his ties to convicted Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff, Republican Rep. John Doolittle narrowly beat his Democratic opponent in 2006. That opponent will repeat his challenge, but Democrat Charlie Brown, a retired U.S. Air Force officer, won't be the only one picking on Doolittle this time. Fellow Republicans have called on Doolittle to step aside and at least three said they are considering opposing him in the primary.
Democratic Rep. Jerry McNerney had never held elected office until landing his seat in a 2006 upset. Former state assemblyman Dean Andal hopes to return the Republican-leaning district to GOP control in 2008. Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter is leaving his congressional seat to run for president. His son Duncan D. Hunter, a U.S. Marine Corps captain, has said he will join the fray to take his father's seat.
A GOP-backed plan proposes dividing the state's electoral votes by congressional district, possibly taking away about 20 electoral votes from Democrats in this reliably blue state. But the measure, facing strong opposition, may not make it to the ballot.
2004 results: Sen. John Kerry won the state's 55 electoral votes with 54% of the vote.
Colorado
With Republican Sen. Wayne Allard announcing he will not seek re-election, Rep. Mark Udall, hopes to become the state's second Democratic senator. Former GOP congressman Bob Schaffer also wants the job, and a recent poll showed the race in a dead heat. Udall's Senate run leaves a scramble for his seat, which lies in a heavily Democratic district.
Since her 2002 election, Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, perhaps best known nationally for her support of a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, has won re-election by narrowing margins. She won in 2006 by less than 6,000 votes. Democrat Betsy Markey, a former staffer for Sen. Ken Salazar, is expected to oppose Musgrave.
The Democratic National Convention is Aug. 25-28 in Denver.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's nine electoral votes with 52% of the vote.
Connecticut
After surviving close re-elections in 2004 and 2006, Republican Rep. Christopher Shays has said he will not run again unless his party makes it worth his while — he wants the top GOP spot on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Jim Himes, a businessman, and Lee Whitnum, who wrote a book about the lavish lifestyles of hedge fund managers, are slated to compete for the Democratic nomination. Democratic Rep. Joe Courtney unseated a three-term Republican congressman by 83 votes in 2006. So far he has a significant fundraising advantage over Republican challenger Sean Sullivan, a former submarine base commander.
2004 results: Sen. Kerry won the state's seven electoral votes with 54% of the vote.
Delaware
Term limits prevent Gov. Ruth Ann Minner from seeking re-election. Top Democrats in the state, including Minner, preferred Lt. Gov. John Carney Jr. to take her place, but three-term Democratic state Treasurer Jack Markell crashed Carney's coronation, announcing his candidacy in June. The primary could be hotly contested. Republicans are circulating a petition to lure former drugstore executive Alan Levin into the race. Michael Protack, an airline pilot and party outsider who has run unsuccessfully for governor and U.S. senator, is the only Republican in the race to date.
Sen. Joseph Biden is well behind in his bid for president, but he is expected to face little opposition in a simultaneous run for re-election to the Senate.
2004 results: Sen. Kerry won the state's three electoral votes with 53% of the vote.
District of Columbia
In April, the long push by district voters and Democrats to give the nation's capital a full member in the House of Representatives seemed close to success after that body approved such a bill. But in September, the bill, sponsored by non-voting D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, fell three votes short of the 60 needed for Senate consideration and stalled. It is not clear when or if the bill will be revived.
2004 results: Sen. Kerry won the district's three electoral votes with 89% of the vote.
Florida
In 2000, Florida played a crucial and controversial role in determining the next president. A year before the 2008 presidential elections, the state seems to be cementing that role again. After state Democrats bucked their national party by setting their primary a week earlier than mandated, the Democratic National Committee took away the state's primary delegates. In response, state Democrats sued the DNC. In the general election, Florida is again the largest potential swing state.
Republicans are targeting freshman Democratic Rep. Tim Mahoney, who in 2006 narrowly won a historically GOP seat after Rep. Mark Foley was revealed to have sent lurid messages to congressional pages and resigned. State Rep. Gayle Harrell is among those seeking the nomination.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's 27 electoral votes with 52% of the vote.
Georgia
Two Democrats who won re-election to Congress in 2006 by a combined total of just more than 2,600 votes could face tough races again. Rep. Jim Marshall has challengers to the right and the left, with both Republican Richard Goddard, a former Air Force base commander, and Macon Mayor Jack Ellis, a Democrat, expressing interest. Four Republicans have said they may challenge Rep. John Barrow.
Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss won't be easy to best, but Democrats Dale Cardwell, a former TV reporter; Rand Knight, an environmental scientist; and DeKalb County Chief Executive Vernon Jones are competing to oppose him.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's 15 electoral votes with 58% of the vote.
Hawaii
Democratic Reps. Mazie Hirono and Neil Abercrombie, the state's only representatives, appear poised for easy re-elections in this heavily Democratic state.
2004 results: Sen. Kerry won the state's four electoral votes with 54% of the vote.
Idaho
Following news of his arrest in a Minneapolis airport restroom sex sting, Sen. Larry Craig initially said he intended to resign from the Senate. Craig later changed his mind, opting to serve out the rest of his term but not seek re-election. The race to replace Craig could be a rematch of the state's 2006 race for lieutenant governor, when Republican Jim Risch beat former U.S. representative Larry LaRocco, a Democrat. Rex Rammell, a veterinarian and elk rancher, is also seeking the GOP nod, but Risch has the governor's endorsement.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's four electoral votes with 69% of the vote.
Illinois
Illinois could be a central front in the battle for control of the U.S. House, with three representatives retiring and three others facing potentially tough re-elections. Republican Reps. Jerry Weller, Ray LaHood and Dennis Hastert, former speaker of the House, are leaving.
Republican Reps. Mark Kirk and Peter Roskam and Democratic Rep. Melissa Bean could all face stiff competition in their re-election bids. Democrats Dan Seals, who lost a close race to Kirk in 2006, and Jay Footlik, former aide to President Clinton, have said they will challenge Kirk.
Illinois, home to Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, has moved its primary up to Feb. 5.
2004 results: Sen. Kerry won the state's 21 electoral votes with 55% of the vote.
Indiana
Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, who snapped a 16-year Democratic run when he won in 2004, was not shy about bringing changes to the state. Democrats will challenge Daniels' re-election bid by questioning his sometimes controversial actions, including a switch of the state's time zone, privatization of prisons and the lease of a 157-mile toll road to a private, foreign company. Jim Schellinger, an architect and Democratic fundraiser, and former congresswoman Jill Long Thompson are seeking the Democratic nomination.
Democratic Rep. Baron Hill faces of a familiar foe in his re-election bid. Hill and Republican Mike Sodrel have competed for the seat in three elections starting in 2002, with Sodrel winning the 2004 race.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's 11 electoral votes with 60% of the vote.
Iowa
No Republicans have yet announced a 2008 challenge to Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin, who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee. The state's signature political event, its presidential caucuses, were moved up to Jan. 3, in the wake of Michigan, Florida and a host of other states moving their primaries up on the calendar.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's seven electoral votes with 50% of the vote.
Kansas
Democratic Rep. Nancy Boyda won her seat in 2006 by upsetting Jim Ryun, then a five-term incumbent. Ryun has said he will run for the seat again, but state Treasurer Lynn Jenkins also wants the Republican nomination. Republicans also hope to unseat Democratic Rep. Dennis Moore, an incumbent since 1998 who has narrowly won past re-election bids in a Republican-leaning district. Moore will be challenged by GOP state Sen. Nick Jordan. Former congressman Jim Slattery, a Democrat, has said he is considering a challenge to Sen. Pat Roberts, no easy task in this Republican-leaning state.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's six electoral votes with 62% of the vote.
Kentucky
Sen. Mitch McConnell has no declared opponent yet, but national liberal and anti-war groups have already launched a campaign against the Republican minority leader, criticizing him as a rubber stamp for President Bush. Married to Elaine Chao, Bush's Labor secretary, McConnell has not shied from his ties to Bush, bringing the president to a 2007 fundraiser in Louisville.
Democratic Rep. John Yarmuth won his seat by narrowly beating Anne Northup in 2006. Northup, who lost the Republican gubernatorial primary this year to Gov. Ernie Fletcher, will not run for Congress. Erwin Roberts, Fletcher's former personnel secretary, is opposing Yarmuth.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's eight electoral votes with 60% of the vote.
Louisiana
A Democrat in a red state that got redder after Hurricane Katrina depleted the population of New Orleans, Sen. Mary Landrieu is a top target for national Republicans. State Treasurer John Kennedy, a moderate who switched from the Democratic to the Republican Party in August, might oppose Landrieu, but he has not yet announced. A special election must be held for the House seat of Bobby Jindal, who last month was elected governor.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's nine electoral votes with 57% of the vote.
Maine
Republican Sen. Susan Collins could face a tough challenge from six-term Democratic Rep. Tom Allen. Allen, who voted against authorizing use of force in Iraq in 2002, has criticized Collins' support of the Iraq war. More than a half dozen Democrats and Republicans have lined up to compete for Allen's House seat.
2004 results: Sen. Kerry won the state's four electoral votes with 54% of the vote.
Maryland
Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, one of only two congressional Republicans to vote this year for troops to begin coming home from Iraq in the fall, looks to face a serious primary challenge. State Sen. Andrew Harris, Joseph Arminio, co-founder of a Washington, D.C.-based defense advocacy group, and John Leo Walter, a lawyer in his first run for office, will oppose the 16-year incumbent. Harris, running to Gilchrest's right, has the support of former governor Bob Ehrlich.
2004 results: Sen. Kerry won the state's 10 electoral votes with 56% of the vote.
Massachusetts
With no Republicans in statewide office or Congress, Massachusetts is clearly Democratic territory, but the state's presidential hopeful is former governor Mitt Romney, a Republican. Massachusetts has not voted for a GOP presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan.
Democratic Sen. John Kerry has challengers to the left and right in his re-election bid. Former Gloucester city councilor Edward O'Reilly will oppose Kerry in the primary, and Republican Jeff Beatty, who founded a security consulting firm, plans to run in the general election.
2004 results: Sen. Kerry won the state's 12 electoral votes with 62% of the vote.
Michigan
Freshman Republican Rep. Tim Walberg could face a battle for a second term from either state Senate Minority Leader Mark Schauer or Sharon Renier, who opposed Walberg in 2006. Republican Rep. Joe Knollenberg could also face a stiff re-election challenge from Democrat Gary Peters. Peters, a former state lottery commissioner has the financial support of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
The state's decision to move its presidential primary to Jan. 15 violates Democratic National Committee rules, and the DNC could take away Michigan's delegates. Democratic presidential contenders Barack Obama, John Edwards, Bill Richardson and Joseph Biden have all taken their names off the Jan. 15 ballot, but front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton has not, saying that could hurt her in the general election.
2004 results: Sen. Kerry won the state's 17 electoral votes with 51% of the vote.
Minnesota
The 20% margin of victory for Amy Klobuchar in her 2006 run for an open Senate seat has Democrats energized to challenge Sen. Norm Coleman. He narrowly won the seat in 2002, after incumbent Paul Wellstone died in a plane crash weeks before the election. Comedian Al Franken is among hopefuls for the Democratic nomination.
The unexpected retirement of Rep. Jim Ramstad has turned what might have been an easy Republican re-election into a tossup. State Rep. Erik Paulsen is the leading Republican contender for the seat; state Sen. Terri Bonoff is the leading Democrat. The Republican National Convention will be held Sept. 1-4 in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
2004 results: Sen. Kerry won the state's 10 electoral votes with 51% of the vote.
Mississippi
Republican Rep. Chip Pickering will retire, but his seat, which lies in a heavily Republican district, is likely to stay under that party's control. Sen. Thad Cochran, a Republican, said he will announce a decision on a re-election bid soon. If he does not run, Pickering might run for the seat. Former state attorney general Mike Moore is considered the top Democratic prospect should Cochran leave the Senate.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's six electoral votes with 59% of the vote.
Missouri
Republican Gov. Matt Blunt has been in the sights of his Democratic rival since Blunt's first year in office; state Attorney General Jay Nixon formed a campaign committee in 2005. Blunt, averaging almost one public appearance a day, has been far more visible than Nixon, who has averaged about one a month, but the race is expected to be close. Vice President Cheney pitched in on Republican Rep. Sam Graves' re-election run, appearing at a September fundraiser. Graves is facing Democrat and former Kansas City mayor Kay Barnes.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's 11 electoral votes with 53% of the vote.
Montana
President Bush carried the state in 2004, but Democrats hold the governor's mansion and both Senate seats, and Republicans look unlikely to change that in 2008. Sen. Max Baucus' only challenger to date is former state House majority leader Michael Lange, who was forced out by fellow Republicans after calling Gov. Brian Schweitzer an S.O.B. in a profanity-laced rant in April. No Republican has yet entered the gubernatorial race.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's three electoral votes with 59% of the vote.
Nebraska
The retirement of GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel could make for a competitive race. Former governor and former U.S. Agriculture secretary Mike Johanns picked up an endorsement from fellow Republican Gov. Dave Heineman, which could help him against Republican hopefuls including Attorney General Jon Bruning and businessman Pat Flynn. Democrats had hoped to recruit former senator Bob Kerrey to the race, but he recently said he won't run.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's five electoral votes with 66% of the vote.
Nevada
Democrats are targeting Republican Rep. Jon Porter after a 2006 race in which he narrowly beat a 30-year-old, first-time candidate. Robert Daskas, a prosecutor, and Andrew Martin, an accountant, are competing to oppose Porter, who has been boosted by a fundraiser with Vice President Cheney. Nevada's Jan. 19 presidential caucuses are garnering more attention from presidential candidates than in the past.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's five electoral votes with 50% of the vote.
New Hampshire
National Democrats are targeting conservative Sen. John Sununu and have recruited his 2002 opponent to make another run. Democrat Jeanne Shaheen was governor when she lost that close race. Former astronaut Jay Buckey is also competing for the Democratic nomination. Republican Jeb Bradley, ousted from his House seat in 2006 by Democratic Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, is also planning a rematch. Shea-Porter's 2006 victory was one of the biggest upsets of the election cycle and made her the state's first congresswoman. Democratic Gov. John Lynch's high approval ratings could complicate the GOP challenge.
With so many states moving up their presidential primaries, there is a growing possibility that New Hampshire's primary could be held as early as Jan. 5.
2004 results: Sen. Kerry won the state's four electoral votes with 50% of the vote.
New Jersey
After falling just a few thousand votes short of beating Republican Rep. Mike Ferguson in 2006, Democratic state Assemblywoman Linda Stender will challenge him again. Ferguson has a moderate record on some issues, but Stender has criticized his opposition to abortion and stem cell research, and his support of the Iraq war. Republican Rep. Jim Saxton could also face a tough re-election fight against state Sen. John Adler. Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg, 83, has said he will run again. No well-known foe has announced a challenge yet.
2004 results: Sen. Kerry won the state's 15 electoral votes with 53% of the vote.
New Mexico
Sen. Pete Domenici's announcement last month that he would not seek re-election created three open Republican congressional seats because Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce are leaving their House seats to run for his Senate seat. Democratic candidates in the state's first open Senate race since 1972 include Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez.
Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White will seek the Republican nomination for Wilson's House seat. Albuquerque City Councilor Martin Heinrich and former state health secretary Michelle Lujan Grisham are running for that seat as Democrats. A half dozen Democrats and Republicans have expressed interest in Pearce's seat.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's five electoral votes with 50% of the vote.
New York
The last two presidents have been Southerners, but both parties' 2008 front-runners for the top job have New York credentials: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and former New York mayor Rudy Guliani.
A number of potentially competitive House races loom here. Democratic Reps. John Hall and Kirsten Gillibrand and Republican Reps. Jim Walsh and Randy Kuhl could all face tough re-election bids. Hall, of the 1970s pop group Orleans, won his seat from Republican Sue Kelly in 2006, with Kelly facing questions about her tenure on the House Page Board following the Rep. Mark Foley page scandal. Hall hopes voters will think he's Still the One in 2008, with Republicans Andrew Saul, a businessman, and Kieran Lalor, an Iraq war veteran, challenging the freshman congressman.
Kuhl's seat lies in one of the state's most heavily Republican districts, but Democrats consider him vulnerable. Democrat Eric Massa, a Navy veteran, narrowly lost to Kuhl in 2006 and plans to repeat his challenge.
2004 results: Sen. Kerry won the state's 31 electoral votes with 58% of the vote.
North Carolina
Democratic Gov. Mike Easley is barred from re-election by term limits, and the race for his seat could be very competitive. Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue and state Treasurer Richard Moore are competing for the Democratic nomination. Republican hopefuls include state Sen. Fred Smith, attorney Bill Graham and former state Supreme Court justice Robert Orr.
After falling about 300 votes shy of upsetting Republican Rep. Robin Hayes in 2006, Democrat Larry Kissell, a teacher, will challenge Hayes again. Democratic Rep. Heath Shuler, a retired NFL quarterback, won his seat in a 2006 upset over Republican Charles Taylor. Taylor has yet to say whether he'll run. State Sen. Kay Hagan and Jim Neal, a corporate financial adviser who has never held elected office, will meet in the Democratic primary for the right to derail Sen. Elizabeth Dole's bid for re-election.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's 15 electoral votes with 56% of the vote.
North Dakota
Republican Gov. John Hoeven will seek to become only the second person in state history to hold the governor's mansion for 12 years and the first to win three four-year terms. Hoeven is considered a strong favorite over his only declared opposition, state Sen. Tim Mathern.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's three electoral votes with 63% of the vote.
Ohio
A number of competitive House races could impact the balance of power in Congress. Republican Reps. Deborah Pryce and Ralph Regula will not seek re-election. Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy, a Franklin County commissioner, lost a close race against Pryce in 2006 and looks to be the 2008 favorite with no Republican candidate yet declared. Competition for the seat Regula will have held for 36 years should be stiff. State Sen. Kirk Schuring is running to replace Regula and state Sen. Ron Amstutz, a fellow Republican, could also run. Democratic state Sen. John Boccieri is also running.
In addition to the close open seat races, some incumbents might have tough re-election fights. Rep. Zack Space, a Democrat in a Republican-leaning district, is in the sights of three GOP hopefuls, including former Ohio Department of Agriculture director Fred Dailey. After garnering only 52% of the vote in his 2006 re-election, Republican Rep. Steve Chabot is being targeted by Democratic state Rep. Steve Driehaus.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's 20 electoral votes with 51% of the vote.
Oklahoma
Sen. James Inhofe has drawn the ire of environmental groups by calling global warming a "hoax," but that's not likely to hurt the Republican's re-election chances. His only Democratic challenger thus far is first-term state Sen. Andrew Rice.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's seven electoral votes with 66% of the vote.
Oregon
Sen. Gordon Smith is the only Republican holding statewide office in Oregon. State House Speaker Jeff Merkley and Steve Novick, a lawyer and activist, will compete for the Democratic senatorial nomination. Smith's $4 million campaign war chest dwarfs those of his Democratic opponents.
2004 results: Sen. Kerry won the state's seven electoral votes with 52% of the vote.
Pennsylvania
After picking up four House seats in 2006, Democrats could have a tough time holding them. Rep. Jason Altmire, who unseated Republican Melissa Hart in 2006, will face her again if she wins the primary. Former football star Lynn Swann also is considering a run against Altmire. National Republicans are helping Hart raise money and running newspaper ads against Altmire and Democratic Rep. Chris Carney. Carney ousted Republican Don Sherwood after Sherwood admitted to having a mistress. Two businessmen, Dan Meuser and Chris Hackett, will compete to bring the Republican-leaning district into that party's control. Democrats are targeting Republican Rep. Jim Gerlach, who narrowly won re-election in 2004 and 2006.
2004 results: Sen. Kerry won the state's 21 electoral votes with 51% of the vote.
Rhode Island
All four members of the state's congressional delegation are Democrats, and registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans more than two to one in Rhode Island. Gov. Donald Carcieri is a Republican, but he must work with veto-proof Democratic majorities in both the state House and Senate. Sen. Jack Reed is up for re-election in 2008, but with no announced opponent and more than $2.7 million to campaign with, he is no soft target for Republicans.
2004 results: Sen. Kerry won the state's four electoral votes with 60% of the vote.
South Carolina
A well-known Republican in a conservative state, Sen. Lindsey Graham would likely have little to fear from Democratic challengers. Instead, Republicans unhappy with his support of a failed immigration overhaul plan are lining up to oppose him. Those running or considering a run include state Rep. Jeff Duncan, computer specialist Tim Carnes, Air Force veteran John Cina and Gary McLeod, who has made unsuccessful runs for the House of Representatives.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's eight electoral votes with 58% of the vote.
South Dakota
Despite a life-threatening brain hemorrhage in December that kept him away from Congress for nine months, Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson says he will run again in 2008. Johnson won his last re-election bid by only 524 votes, and state Rep. Joel Dykstra and businessman Sam Kephart are competing for the Republican nomination to oppose him. Johnson is still undergoing therapy. No Democratic presidential candidate has won South Dakota since Lyndon Johnson in 1964.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's three electoral votes with 60% of the vote.
Tennessee
Actor and former senator Fred Thompson waited until September to declare his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination, and he is relying on his home state to help him catch up in fundraising. More than one-fifth of the $12.8 million Thompson has raised has come from Tennessee.
GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander, who took the seat Thompson left in 2002, has no declared opponent yet in his re-election bid.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's 11 electoral votes with 57% of the vote.
Texas
After former House majority leader Tom DeLay, a Republican, was indicted on money-laundering charges and resigned, Democratic Rep. Nick Lampson won his seat in 2006. A half dozen Republicans are campaigning to take back the heavily Republican district. Democratic Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, who unseated Republican Rep. Henry Bonilla in a December 2006 runoff election, could also face a tough re-election bid.
Sen. John Cornyn's re-election bid will get a boost from President Bush, who plans to appear at a fundraiser for him this month. Democratic Rep. Rick Noriega is opposing Cornyn.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's 34 electoral votes with 61% of the vote.
Utah
Republican Rep. Chris Cannon could face strong challenges from members of his own party unhappy with Cannon's support of President Bush's immigration overhaul plan. David Leavitt, an attorney with more than twice the campaign cash as Cannon, and Jason Chaffetz, former chief of staff to Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., will challenge Cannon in the primary. As one of the country's most popular governors, Huntsman is not expected to have a difficult re-election bid.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's five electoral votes with 72% of the vote.
Vermont
The state backed Sen. John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election, and Vermont's congressional delegation consists of two Democrats and an independent socialist. But the state's governor, James Douglas, is a Republican and Democrats have yet to find a candidate to oppose him in 2008.
2004 results: Sen. Kerry won the state's three electoral votes with 59% of the vote.
Virginia
With the retirement of Republican Sen. John Warner, former Democratic governor Mark Warner looks to be the favorite to take his seat. Mark Warner, who is not related to John Warner, raised more than $1 million in less than three weeks between declaring his candidacy and filing a September fundraising report. Jim Gilmore, also a former governor, has expressed interest on the GOP side. Democrats see Republican Rep. Thelma Drake, who only narrowly won re-election in 2006, as potentially vulnerable but have yet to find a candidate to challenge her.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's 13 electoral votes with 54% of the vote.
Washington
After losing the first two counts, Democrat Chris Gregoire won the governor's mansion by 129 votes on a hand recount in 2004. Republicans are trying to draft her 2004 opponent, former state senator Dino Rossi, for another run, but he has yet to announce a decision. Republicans have criticized Gregoire for holding town-hall-style meetings around the state, saying it amounts to a taxpayer-funded campaign. Republican Rep. Dave Reichert narrowly kept his seat after a strong 2006 challenge from Democrat Darcy Burner. Burner plans to face Reichert again and has already gotten fundraising support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
2004 results: Sen. Kerry won the state's 11 electoral votes with 53% of the vote.
West Virginia
The state's Democratic governor and one of its Democratic senators are up for re-election, but neither should have a difficult race. Gov. Joe Manchin, who enjoys strong approval ratings, will likely face Republican Bob Adams, a small-business owner. With Republican Rep. Shelley Moore Capito announcing in May that she will not leave her House seat, Republicans are scrambling for a viable challenger to Democratic Sen. Jay Rockefeller.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's five electoral votes with 56% of the vote.
Wisconsin
In 2006, Democratic Rep. Steve Kagen edged out Republican John Gard, former speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, to win his seat. Kagen is expected to face Gard again. After losing four state Senate seats and majority status in the upper chamber in 2006, Republicans will look to retake control, with 16 of 33 state Senate seats up for election. Sen. John Kerry won Wisconsin's electoral votes in 2004, edging out President Bush by less than half a percentage point. The state could be competitive in the 2008 presidential race.
2004 results: Sen. Kerry won the state's 10 electoral votes with 50% of the vote.
Wyoming
The June death of Republican Sen. Craig Thomas from leukemia forced a special election that will result in races for all three seats in the state's congressional delegation. Sen. John Barrasso, a Republican who was chosen to replace Thomas, will participate in the special election but has no declared opponent yet. Republican Sen. Mike Enzi won his last re-election bid with 73% of the vote and also has yet to draw a Democratic challenger. Republican Rep. Barbara Cubin won her seventh term by just more than 1,000 votes in 2006. Her Democratic opponent in that election, Gary Trauner, has said he will oppose Cubin again.
2004 results: President Bush won the state's three electoral votes with 70% of the vote.