Some Key Races in 2010 US Election

U.S. approval ratings for President Barack Obama have slipped and frustration over the U.S. economy and anti-incumbent sentiment have risen, making for some hotly contested races in Tuesday’s midterm elections.

The western state of Nevada hosts one of those contentious races, with conservative Sharron Angle, a Tea Party favorite, in a tight race with Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Reid was elected to the Senate in 1986 and has seen his popularity plummet as the state faces some of the worst foreclosure and jobless rates in the country.

In the state of Kentucky, Tea Party favorite Rand Paul won the Senate race against state Attorney General Jack Conway, a Democrat. Paul became the Republican nominee in a surprise upset over Kentucky’s Secretary of State.

In a three-way contest in Florida, former state lawmaker and Tea Party favorite Marco Rubio defeated Democratic candidate Kendrick Meek and Governor Charlie Crist, who ran for the Senate seat as an independent after losing the Republican nomination to Rubio.

In Delaware, Democrat Chris Coons defeated conservative activist and political novice Christine O’Donnell to win the Senate seat once held by Vice President Joe Biden. O’Donnell, a Tea Party-backed candidate, generated controversy after winning the Republican nomination in an upset over moderate veteran U.S. Representative Mike Castle.

In Senate races still to be decided, Republican Ken Buck poses a challenge to incumbent Democrat Michael Bennet in Colorado. Bennet came to the Senate as an appointee for a vacant seat, and won the Democratic nomination during this year’s primary vote.

In Pennsylvania, longtime incumbent Senator Arlen Specter quit the Republican Party in 2009 and became a Democrat, only to lose the Democratic primary this year to Representative Joe Sestak. Now Sestak is locked in a close battle with Republican Pat Toomey for Specter’s seat.

In the western state of Washington, incumbent Democratic Senator Patty Murray is in a close race with Republican Dino Rossi, a businessman who has twice lost the state governor’s race.

In yet another contentious race, California Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer is facing a strong challenge from Republican Carly Fiorina — a former chief executive officer of the Hewlett-Packard company.

Alaska’s Senate race has been complicated by the fact that there are three candidates: Tea Party-backed Joe Miller, who won the Republican nomination, and incumbent Lisa Murkowski, who is campaigning as a write-in candidate after losing the Republican nomination. Polls show Miller and Murkowski in a tight race, with Democrat Scott McAdams possibly benefiting from a split in the Republican vote.

Some information in this story was provided by AP and Reuters.