Final pre-midterm NYT/Siena poll shows Democrats leading in nearly all seven
swing states that will decide control of the U.S. Senate. Democrats hold sizable
leads in Texas and Kansas — states that have not elected a Democratic senator
since 1988 and 1932, respectively. To secure a Senate majority Democrats must
retain all current seats and flip at least four Republican-held seats; the poll
finds Democratic candidates leading in five of those Republican-held states and
essentially tied in a sixth. Specifically, Democrats lead in Kansas, Maine, Ohio
and Texas, hold a narrow lead in Alaska and are level with Republicans in Iowa.