2020 Democratic Senate Wishlist

[Galeel]

Who do you think would be the strongest candidates for the 2020 senate elections for the Democrats for each state? Feel free to suggest changes or post your own list. Also, to keep it shorter, I limited it to races without a democratic incumbent, but if you want to change the nominee in those races you are welcome to.

My list is based off of this list from the Daily Kos, but I did make some changes:https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/2/17/1832410/-Here-s-our-ultimate-Democratic-wishlist-for-Senate-in-2020-Who-s-on-yours

Alaska: Alyse Galvin
Arizona: Mark Kelly
Arkansas: Mike Beebe
Colorado: Ed Perlmutter
Georgia: Stacey Abrams
Idaho: A.J. Balukoff
Iowa: Rob Sand
Kansas: Barry Grissom
Kentucky: Matt Jones
Louisiana: John Bel Edwards
Maine: Jared Golden
Mississippi: Mike Espy
Montana: Steve Bullock
Nebraska: Sara Howard
North Carolina: Josh Stein
Oklahoma: J.J. Dossett
South Carolina: Bakari Sellers
South Dakota: Billie Sutton
Tennessee: James Mackler
Texas: Ron Nirenberg
West Virginia: Richard Ojeda
Wyoming: Dave Freudenthal

[Orser67]

Alaska: Mark Begich
Arizona: Mark Kelly
Arkansas: Mike Beebe
Colorado: Hickenlooper
Georgia: Stacey Abrams
Iowa: Rob Sand
Kansas: Sharice Davids
Kentucky: Amy McGrath
Louisiana: John Bel Edwards
Maine: Jared Golden
Mississippi: Brandon Presley
Montana: Steve Bullock
North Carolina: Josh Stein
South Carolina: James Smith
South Dakota: Billie Sutton
Tennessee: James Mackler
Texas: Joaquin Castro
West Virginia: Richard Ojeda

Not worth contesting (barring a Roy Moore-like Republican candidate): Idaho, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wyoming

[Politician]

AK: Begich
AZ: Kelly
AR: Beebe
CO: Johnston
GA: Abrams
ID: Balukoff
IA: Sand
KS: Brissom
KY: Jones
LA: Edwards
ME: Jackson
MS: Presley
MT: Bullock
NE: lol who cares
NC: Stein
OK: lol who cares
SC: Harrison
SD: Sutton
TN: Mackler
TX: O'Rourke
WV: Ojeda
WY: Fruedenthal

[voice_of_resistance]

AK: Alyse Galvin
AZ: Mark Kelly
AR: Bill Clinton
CO: Mark Udall redux
GA: Stacey Abrams
ID: Walt Minnick
IA: Rob Sand
KS: James Thompson
KY: Matt Jones
LA: John Breaux redux
ME: Troy Jackson
MS: Ray Mabus
MT: Steve Bullock
NE: Scott Kleeb
NC: Gerald Baker
OK: Drew Edmondson
SC: Jaime Harrison
SD: Billie Sutton
TN: Lincoln Davis
TX: Joaquin Castro
WV: Richard Ojeda
WY: Dave Freudenthal

[Coldstream]

Alaska: Mark Begich (I’d rather Alyse Galvin ran for the house again)
Arizona: Mark Kelly
Arkansas: Mike Beebe
Colorado: Crisanta Duran
Georgia: Stacey Abrams
Idaho: Paulette Jordan/Larry LaRocco
Iowa: Rob Sand
Kansas: Barry Grissom
Kentucky: Jim Gray
Louisiana: John Bel Edwards/Mitch Landrieu
Maine: Jared Golden
Mississippi: Mike Espy
Montana: Steve Bullock
Nebraska: Brad Ashford (have his wife run for the congressional seat)
North Carolina: Jeff Jackson
Oklahoma: Drew Edmondson (rather than Horn waste her seat)
South Carolina: Joe Riley (why not)
South Dakota: Brendan Johnson
Tennessee: James Mackler
Texas: MJ Hegar
West Virginia: Richard Ojeda
Wyoming: Dave Freudenthal

[S019]

AK: Ethan Berkowitz
AZ: Tom O'Halleran
AR: Mike Beebe
CO: John Hickenlooper
GA: Stacey Abrams
ID: Walt Minnick
IA: Tom Miller
KS: Nancy Boyda
KY: Steve Beshear
LA: John Bel Edwards
ME: Janet Mills
MS: Jim Hood
MT: Brian Schweitzer
NE: Ben Nelson
NC: Roy Cooper
OK: Brad Henry
SC: John Spratt
SD: Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
TN: Jim Cooper
TX: Henry Cuellar
WV: Earl Ray Tomblin
WY: Dave Freudenthal

[junior chįmp]

Alaska: Alyse Galvin
Arizona: Mark Kelly
Arkansas: Jesus Christ
Colorado: Ed Perlmutter
Georgia: Stacey Abrams
Idaho: dont bother
Iowa: blad baseball player guy
Kansas: Svaty
Kentucky: fighter pilot chick
Louisiana: dont bother
Maine: Jared Golden
Mississippi: Mike Espy
Montana: Steve Bullock
Nebraska: Don Bacon
North Carolina: Josh Stein
Oklahoma: Dont bother
South Carolina: Joe Cunningham
South Dakota: Billie Sutton
Tennessee: dont bother
Texas: Beto
West Virginia: Richard Ojeda
Wyoming: Dave Freudenthal

[RussFeingoldWasRobbed]

AZ- Gallego
ME- Golden
MT- Bullock
IA- Scholten
KS- Grissom
CO- Udall lol
NC- Jackson
GA- Abrams
Texas- Allred

[IceSpear]

Alaska: Alyse Galvin
Arizona: Mark Kelly
Arkansas: Jesus Christ
Colorado: Ed Perlmutter
Georgia: Stacey Abrams
Idaho: dont bother
Iowa: blad baseball player guy
Kansas: Svaty
Kentucky: fighter pilot chick
Louisiana: dont bother
Maine: Jared Golden
Mississippi: Mike Espy
Montana: Steve Bullock
Nebraska: Don Bacon
North Carolina: Josh Stein
Oklahoma: Dont bother
South Carolina: Joe Cunningham
South Dakota: Billie Sutton
Tennessee: dont bother
Texas: Beto
West Virginia: Richard Ojeda
Wyoming: Dave Freudenthal

Agree with all this except someone younger in Colorado. Maybe Jena Griswold. And Jeff Jackson in NC, but Stein is fine. And I wouldn’t want Billie Sutton to waste his talent on a suicidal Senate run.

What alternative does Sutton have? A Senate race is definitely unwinnable, but a gubernatorial race almost certainly is too considering he couldn't even beat someone for a "less partisan" open gubernatorial seat during a D+9 Democratic wave year. And it's not like SD is getting any bluer, quite the contrary actually.

But yeah, I mostly agree with that list too, except that Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Wyoming should also all be in the "don't bother" category.

[junior chįmp]

Alaska: Alyse Galvin
Arizona: Mark Kelly
Arkansas: Jesus Christ
Colorado: Ed Perlmutter
Georgia: Stacey Abrams
Idaho: dont bother
Iowa: blad baseball player guy
Kansas: Svaty
Kentucky: fighter pilot chick
Louisiana: dont bother
Maine: Jared Golden
Mississippi: Mike Espy
Montana: Steve Bullock
Nebraska: Don Bacon
North Carolina: Josh Stein
Oklahoma: Dont bother
South Carolina: Joe Cunningham
South Dakota: Billie Sutton
Tennessee: dont bother
Texas: Beto
West Virginia: Richard Ojeda
Wyoming: Dave Freudenthal

Agree with all this except someone younger in Colorado. Maybe Jena Griswold. And Jeff Jackson in NC, but Stein is fine. And I wouldn’t want Billie Sutton to waste his talent on a suicidal Senate run.

What alternative does Sutton have? A Senate race is definitely unwinnable, but a gubernatorial race almost certainly is too considering he couldn't even beat a shrill bitch for a "less partisan" open gubernatorial seat during a D+9 Democratic wave year. And it's not like SD is getting any bluer, quite the contrary actually.

But yeah, I mostly agree with that list too, except that Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Wyoming should also all be in the "don't bother" category.

If Kamala gets the nomination then yeah...give up on those states too lulz

[junior chįmp]

Agree with all this except someone younger in Colorado. Maybe Jena Griswold. And Jeff Jackson in NC, but Stein is fine. And I wouldn’t want Billie Sutton to waste his talent on a suicidal Senate run.

Come to think of it....Jason Crow for CO Sen. has a nice ring to it.

[Roll Roons]

Alaska: Alyse Galvin
Arizona: Mark Kelly
Arkansas: Mike Beebe
Colorado: Jason Crow
Georgia: Stacey Abrams
Idaho: Lol
Iowa: Rob Sand
Kansas: Barry Grissom (winnable only if Kobach or Brownback is the GOP nominee)
Kentucky: Either Andy Beshear or Rocky Adkins
Louisiana: Mitch Landrieu
Maine: Jared Golden
Mississippi: Jim Hood if he's not governor, Mike Espy otherwise
Montana: Steve Bullock (winnable only with him)
Nebraska: Bring back Ben Nelson?
North Carolina: Jeff Jackson
Oklahoma: Dan Boren
South Carolina: Joe Cunningham
South Dakota: Billie Sutton
Tennessee: James Mackler
Texas: Beto if he doesn't run for president, Joaquin Castro otherwise
West Virginia: Earl Ray Tomblin
Wyoming: Dave Freudenthal

D-held Seats:
Alabama: Brad Byrne
Delaware: Ken Simpler
Illinois: Adam Kinzinger
Massachusetts: Charlie Baker
Michigan: John James
Minnesota: Norm Coleman
New Hampshire: Kelly Ayotte
New Jersey: Tom Kean Jr.
New Mexico: Gary Johnson I guess?
Oregon: Knute Buehler
Rhode Island: Don Carcieri?
Virginia: Bill Bolling

Bolded states are unwinnable.

For LA, it's obviously a bad look if JBE he runs the year after winning reelection. Yes, my lists have a lot of retreads, but it's not like there's anyone better. I know none of them would win.

It just dawned on me how few swing states there are in this Senate class.

[Xing]

AK: Berkowitz
AZ: Kelly or Gallego
AR: Who care
CO: Johnston
GA: Abrams
ID: Who care
IA: Sand or Scholten
KS: Svaty
KY: Who care
LA: Who care
ME: Jackson
MS: Who care
MT: Bullock
NE: Who care
NC: Stein
OK: Who care
SC: Who care
SD: Who care
TN: Who care
TX: Beto
WV: Who care
WY: Who care

[Rookie Yinzer]

AZ: Kelly
GA: Abrams
MT: Bullock
NC: Stein
TX: Beto or Hegar

[S019]

Am I the only person, who thinks Tom Miller is the Democrats' strongest candidate in Iowa or that Ethan Berkowitz is stronger than two time loser Mark Begich

Here are my Dem held seat wishes

AL: Martha Roby
DE: Mike Castle
IL: Peter Roskam
MA: Charlie Baker
MI: John James
MN: Norm Coleman
NH: Chris Sununu
NJ: Tom Kean Jr.
NM: John Sanchez
OR: Gordon Smith
RI: Don Carcieri
VA: Barbara Comstock

Lots of RINOS and Moderates, because Failed Senate candidates O'Donnell and Angle can tell us how well conservatives do in blue states

[Continential]

 AK: Berkowitz
AZ: Kelly
AR: Beebe
CO: Johnston
GA: Abrams
ID: Miminick
IA: Scholten
KS: Davis
KY: McGrath or Adkins
LA: Bel Edwards
ME: Golden
MS: Who care
MT: Bullock
NE: Ashford
NC: Stein
OK: Edmondson
SC: Smith
SD: Sutton
TN: Mackler
TX: Beto
WV: Ojeda
WY: Freudenthal

[KaiserDave]

Excluding states not worth mentioning....

Alaska: Mark Begich (Would lose 50/43)
Arizona: Mark Kelly (Would lose 49/48)
Arkansas: Mike Beebe (Would lose 55/44)
Colorado: Christina Duran (Would WIN 52/45)
Georgia: Stacey Abrams (Would lose 50/48)
Iowa: J.D. Scholten (Would lose 51/48)
Kansas: Josh Svaty (Would lose 52/42)
Kentucky: Allison Lundergan Grimes (Would lose 54/43)
Maine: Sarah Gideon (Would lose 52/45)
Montana: Steve Bullock (Would WIN 50/48)
North Carolina: Jeff Jackson (Would WIN 51/48)
South Carolina: James Smith (Would lose 55/45)
South Dakota: Billie Sutton (Would lose 54/44)
Texas: Beto O'Rourke (Would lose 51/47)
West Virginia: Richard Ojeda (Would lose 57/42)

[nealkp1212]

Democratic incumbent US Senators up for re-election in 2020 who have yet to announce they are running again.
MI(Peters-D) Dan Kildee-D if Peters-D decides not to seek re-election.
NJ(Booker-D) Don Norcross-D if Booker-D decides not to seek re-election.
NM(Udall-D) Ben Ray Lujan-D if Udall-D decides not to seek re-election.
OR(Merkley-D) Suzanne Bonamaci-D if Merkley-D decides not to seek re-election.
RI(Reed-D) James Langevin-D if Reed-D decides not to seek re-election.
VA(Warner-D) Donald McEachin-D if Warner-D decides not to seek re-election.
Republican held seats.
AK- Ethan Berkowitz-D
AZ- Mark Kelly-D
AR- Bill Halter-D
CO- Andrew Romanoff-D
GA- Stacy Abrams-D
ID- Dave Bieter-D
IA- Rob Hogg-D
KS- Paul Davis-D
KY- Jim Gray-D
LA- Mitch Landrieu-D
ME- Chellie Pingree-D
MS- Mike Espy-D
MT- Steve Bullock-D
NE- Brad Ashford-D
NC- Anthony Foxx-D
OK- Brad Henry-D
SC- James Smith-D
SD- Billie Sutton-D
TN- Andy Berke-D
TX- Joaquin Castro-D
WV- Richard Ojeda-D

[lfromnj]

The best democrat a democrat hack would want in Kentucky is Kim Davis. Atleast that way the D's wont fundraise and waste money on a Safe R race.

[IceSpear]

The best democrat a democrat hack would want in Kentucky is Kim Davis. Atleast that way the D's wont fundraise and waste money on a Safe R race.

She's a Republican now, thank god.