Rev. Raphael Warnock, who won an abbreviated Senate term in a January 2021 runoff that gave Democrats control of the Senate, is up for reelection this year for what would be his first full term in Washington. Warnock’s race against Trump-endorsed retired NFL player Hershel Walker has been one of the most closely watched and salacious races in the country. While much of the scrutiny has come against Walker for his alleged hypocrisy on issues like abortion and family values, as well as his general competence to serve in the Senate, the race is surprisingly close. Republicans have been unwavering in their efforts to displace Warnock, but heavy Democratic early voting – which helped Warnock win last year – may again put him over the top. For now, however, the race is too close to call.

Across the border and across the political aisle, Senator Tim Scott – the only Black Republican currently in the Senate, is also facing an African American challenger, Democrat Krystle Matthews. Unlike the close race in Georgia, Scott has kept a strong lead over Matthews. His chances at reelection are also helped by a scandal that developed when the right-wing organization Project Veritas released a tape it claims records Matthews disparaging white voters in the state. Matthews, who resisted calls to drop out of the race, says that the tape is edited and misleading. Matthews is additionally running ot hold on to her seat in the SC State House of Representatives if he loses her Senate bid. Scott, meanwhile, has been discussed as a possible future Republican presidential candidate.

Meanwhile, another high-profile race is happening in Florida, where Rep. Val Demings is seeking to replace notable Republican Marco Rubio, the former presidential candidate who represents the state in the US Senate. Demings’ career in law enforcement – she served in law enforcement for 27 years, including several years as Orlando’s first woman police chief – make her a strong candidate against Republican attacks of being anti-police or soft on crime. Despite Demings qualifications and records, many of her supporters have complained that the national Democratic Party has not been providing adequate support to her race.

Wisconsin Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes has already made history as the first Black person to hold his current position, and he seeks to do it again as he runs to become the first Black senator to represent the state. To do so, he’ll have to defeat the incumbent, Ron Johnson, an archconservative who is the polar opposite of Barnes on issues from abortion to police reform. Barnes has a ways to go against the sitting senator but polls put him within the margin of error among likely voters in the state. As Johnson follows a page from the Trump playbook and casts baseless doubts about voter integrity in Milwaukee – a heavily Black population within the state – Barnes is hoping that Wisconsin voters will reject their current senator as an extremist.

Former North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley hopes to rack up a Democratic win in the state, which has vacillated between supporting Democrats and Republicans in the last several election cycles. Like Demings in Florida, Beasley has a fair chance of picking up a Senate seat for Democrats in a purple southern state and becoming one of a very few Black women to ever serve in the US Senate. Also like Demings, Beasley’s supporters have faulted the national Democratic Party for not adequately backing her campaign, even as Republicans backing Rep. Ted Budd have spent over $40 million against her and polls have the two candidates virtually tied. Beasley, however, has the advantage of running for an open seat rather than against an incumbent and hopes to put the opportunity – and a recent endorsement by former President Barack Obama – to good use.

Each of these races has the potential to make history for the US Senate, and they could be decisive in determining what party takes control of Congress and shapes the direction of the country for the next two years. As citizens in these states mobilize and vote with rare enthusiasm, the whole country will be watching these races closely.