2010 Senate retirements.

[Adlai Stevenson]

If Mikulski does retire in 2010, I sincerely hope the Democrats nominate an African-American for the Senate - either Kweisi Mfume or Anthony Brown.

[Adlai Stevenson]

2010 should be an interesting election because one would assume it will be the first midterm of a Democratic President - and probably the Republicans' best year since 2004. 

Paradoxically this will prevent from inflicting huge damage and defeats - the GOP maximised their gains in the South in 2004.  Thus potentially vulnerable Republican freshman Senators come up for re-election in 2010 - including Martinez in Florida, Burr in North Carolina, Bunning in Kentucky and Murkowski in Alaska.  I cannot think of a really obviously vulnerable Democrat - Lincoln in Arkansas potentially could be, but she won 56%-44% in 2004.

From a Democratic perspective, two Republican incumbent retirements in Ohio and Kentucky look hopeful - the Party would have two strong candidates in Congressmen Ben Chandler and Tim Ryan.  And even if Voinovich and Bunning do not choose to retire, neither of them is entrenched enough to preclude a strong challenge from either Chandler or Ryan.