Senate Races heat up

With just more than a week until election day, the presidential race is not the only one with high stakes for the parties. Polls show that there may be a Democratic majority in the Senate if the Republicans can not get victories in several incumbents' states.


Sens. Mitch McConnell and Elizabeth Dole are two top Republicans lawmakers who find themselves fighting to hold on to their Senate seats.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is in a competitive race in Kentucky.

They're also two reasons why Democrats are talking 60 -- the number of seats needed to secure filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.

"We are feeling really good that we are going to pick up a successful amount of the larger number of seats and have a successful election. As for 60? It is possible," said New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, who runs campaign operations for the Senate Democrats.

Winning what's commonly called the "magic 60" would maximize the Democrats' ability to push through a Democratic agenda and would virtually prevent Republicans from blocking legislation on the Senate floor. See a map of the Senate seats in play »

There's been a lot of attention on McConnell's race in Kentucky because he is the Senate minority leader, and he's been re-elected four times. McConnell said this race is tougher than last time because, given his high-profile position, he's a bigger target and "the symbol of the other side."

Dole was elected to the Senate in 2002. Her early poll numbers were strong, but the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has spent a lot of money attacking her on two issues -- her effectiveness (or lack of it) in Washington and the little time that she has spent in the state over the past few years, according to The Rothenberg Political Report.

With just days left until the election, Senate Republicans acknowledge they still face a long road ahead.

*article on CNN.com