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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Charlie Jones

US Midterms: Key states which will decide elections between Democrats and Republicans

Although hundreds of seats are up for grabs in the US Midterm elections, political pundits have their eyes on a few key battlegrounds being fought in states.

Millions of dollars in campaigning funds are being poured into swing states in a desperate attempt to get an edge.

Spending records have been broken time and again, and many too close to call going into the final week before the vote.

Not every one of the 535 seats in Congress are up for grabs. Although all 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for grab only a third of all seats in the 100 strong Senate are being contended.

Here the are five states to watch.

Arizona Republican candidate for US Senate Blake Masters (Getty Images)

Arizona

On the US' southern border Democrat Mark Kelly is facing off with Republican Blake Masters for a seat in the Senate.

In 2020 Biden became the only Democrat apart from Bill Clinton to win the state in more than 70 years so everything is to play for.

Masters, a venture capitalist, gained the Republican nomination with the help of Trump’s endorsement and has known to peddle Trump's 'Big Lie' that the 2020 election was stolen.

Kelly, a former astronaut, is on the defensive over immigration.

Former astronaut and current US Senator Mark Kelley (AFP via Getty Images)

Kelly's wife, US Representative Gabby Giffords was shot in the head in the 2011 Tuscon shooting. Six people died including a federal judge.

Giffords survived but later resigned from Congress. The couple are now advocates for gun control.

Conspiracy theories have taken root in Arizona, with candidates for Governor, Secretary of State and Senate all claiming the 2020 election was stolen.

If these candidates do win it will be a huge boost for Trump.

Senator Raphael Warnock is a pastor at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, Martin Luther King Jr.'s former church (Getty Images)

Georgia

Georgia was the setting for one of the most dramatic scenes during the 2020 election.

Two Democrat contenders Jon Ossof and Raphael Warnock faced and beat the Republican incumbents to win seats in the Senate. Both victories were critical in giving the Democrats control of the Senate.

Now Warnock is facing off against a new Republican on the block former American Footballer Herschel Walker.

Walker was convinced to run by Trump himself and despite a series of scandals, including being accused by former lovers of pressuring them to get abortions despite running on an anti-abortion ticket, is doing well in the polls.

Democrat Elissa Slotkin is pro-abortion in contrast to her Republican rival (Getty Images)

Michigan

There are few places where the issue of abortion rights will be more relevant.

Michigan is a traditionally Democrat state that flipped for Donald Trump in 2016 before being clawed back by Biden in 2020.

There Democrat Elissa Slotkin goes up against Republican rival Tom Barrett.

Slotkin has seen a surge in popularity due to her relentless fight for women to be afforded abortion rights and her rival's previous “100% pro-life - no exceptions” stance.

It appears Barrett has since moderated his position on abortion with edits to his website showing a softer approach.

It has also become one of the most expensive races in the country for outside spending.

Dr Mehmet Oz is backed by Trump (Getty Images)

Pennsylvania

Few places are seeing more drama than the race for Senate in Pennsylvania.

There the Trump backed TV personality Mehmet 'Dr' Oz goes up against towering small-town mayor John Fetterman.

Fetterman was appearing a very strong candidate before he suffered a stroke four days before the May primary. In a recent debate with Oz, Fetterman stumbled a few sentences.

Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor and Democratic candidate for US Senator John Fetterman (AFP via Getty Images)

Oz, who was made famous via the Operah Winfrey show, has capitalised on this repeatedly challenging Fetterman to further debates and said he wouldn't have got ill if he "had ever eaten a vegetable in his life".

Fetterman has lashed back calling Dr Oz a being a rich carpet-bagger from New Jersey and someone who wouldn't understand the plight of working class Pennsylvanians.

Expect more fireworks.

Democrat US Senate candidate for Wisconsin Mandela Barnes (Getty Images)

Wisconsin

In few places are the culture wars that are tearing apart the US more visible than the Wisconsin Midterms.

It is one of the most divided states with Republican Senator Ron Johnson running off against Democrat Lt Governor Mandela Barnes.

Johnson has repeatedly played down the severity of the January 6 attacks and made numerous controversial statements about the pandemic.

His opponent Barnes at one point backed defunding the police, supports gun control and legalising weed.

It's the classic showdown, Republican vs Democrat, conservative vs liberal, old vs young.

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