Ruben Gallego

In the middle of the most chaotic presidential election in the modern era, with its death race through senility, assassination attempts and a manufactured coup, voters can be forgiven for their lack of focus on the partisan makeup of the United States Senate. But when it comes to what a Trump or Harris presidency could achieve, the answer may be determined by a handful of extremely close senatorial elections where a dearth of reliable polling has even longtime political insiders flying blind. Democrats have held the Senate since 2021, thanks to Republicans’ bungled attempt to hold on to two key seats in Georgia in the wake of Donald Trump’s attacks on early voting and mail-in ballots.

Senator Kyrsten Sinema, the bipartisan independent from Arizona, announced Tuesday she would not seek re-election. This isn’t the biggest shock, considering Americans’ current aversion to conversation and compromise.  The senator kept silent for months, avoiding any questions about her political future. But over that time, her approval polls remained as low as her Election Day chances.  In a social media post, Sinema lamented the current era of hyperpartisanship.  "It’s all or nothing. The outcome is less important than beating the other guy,” she said in a brief video. “The only political victories that matter these days are symbolic... Compromise is a dirty word.