The Hill’s 50 races to watch

Massachusetts Senate

Elizabeth Warren (D) vs Scott Brown (R)

This seat, once held by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D), has been a priority for both parties since Sen. Scott Brown (R) won it in a 2010 special election.

It was a rare Republican victory in the deep-blue Massachusetts, and Democrats want it back, pining their hopes on consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren. 

Early polls showed the race as neck and neck, but Warren has had a slight lead in most recent surveys on the race.

But Brown retains a likeability advantage, and in a race as close as this, the deciding factor could be personality rather than policy. With this in mind, Brown’s attempted to raise questions about Warren’s integrity, highlighting the confusion surrounding her claims of Native American heritage and charging her with hypocrisy for practicing law for large corporate clients while she fashions herself as a fighter for the middle class against big business. 

Brown’s greatest weakness could be his party, and Warren has made every effort to tie his reelection to Republican control of the Senate and far-right policies, a narrative that, if it sticks, could be toxic to Brown’s chances.

The Hill rates this race as a toss-up.

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