Races Underway as Control of Senate Up for Grabs.(Abstract)

With Democrats holding a narrow one-seat margin in the Senate, attention is focused on what promises to be an exceptionally competitive election cycle. So far, three states - - California, Illinois, and Texas--have held primaries, with the remainder to follow beginning in May and extending through October.

Highlighting the elections this year are several races that will determine control of the U.S. Senate. Although 34 Senate seats are in play this year, most of the energy and attention will be focused on roughly a dozen races.

So far, there are four senators who are not seeking re-election. All four are pro-life Republicans - - Jesse Helms (NC), Strom Thurmond (SC), Fred Thompson (Tn.), and Phil Gramm (Tx.).

In North Carolina, 16 candidates are running for the Republican and Democratic nominations. The leading Republican contender is pro-life Elizabeth Dole, former cabinet secretary in both the Reagan and the first Bush administrations, and wife of former senator and 1996 GOP presidential nominee Robert Dole.

The Democrats have three major competitors, all of whom have a pro-abortion position. They are former Clinton Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles, North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, and state Rep. Dan Blue.

The North Carolina primary had originally been scheduled for May 7. Court challenges over the redistricting lines forced a postponement.

South Carolina's Senate seat will be a battle between pro-life Republican Congressman Lindsey Graham and Democrat Alex Sanders, former College of Charleston president.