With early voting already underway in some states and starting soon in dozens more, the 2024 election has officially begun. In the all-important race for control of the U.S. Senate, Republicans appear to have a clear edge – but Democrats still have hope that they can retain control of the chamber or at least limit GOP gains.

Coming into this cycle, Republicans had what appeared to be one of the most favorable maps in years. While the GOP is defending just 11 seats, Democrats are defending an astonishing 23.

Democrats currently hold a 51-49 edge in the Senate, meaning that a net loss of even one seat puts them at a 50-50 tie. In this scenario, control of the Senate would be determined by whichever ticket wins the White House by virtue of the vice president’s role as President of the Senate.

Of Republicans’ 11 seats, eight are rated as “Solid GOP,” while one (Josh Hawley in Missouri) is rated “Likely GOP” by Real Clear Politics (RCP). Ted Cruz’s seat in Texas is rated as “Leans GOP,” while Rick Scott’s seat in Florida is rated as a toss-up.

According to the latest RCP polling, Cruz is leading Democrat opponent Colin Allred by six points, 48 percent to 42 percent. Scott, meanwhile, leads Debbie Mucarsel-Powell 46.3 percent to 42 percent. Both Allred and Mucarsel-Powell are current Democrat members of the U.S. House.

Republicans should not take anything for granted with 50 days to go until Election Day, particularly in light of disappointing returns during the 2022 Midterms. But history........

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