Race ratings

By Shane D'Aprile and Sean J. Miller - 03/05/11 04:00 PM ET

Below is the Ballot Box's evaluation of the state of the race in the most competitive campaigns. These ratings are culled from a series of indicators, including polling, candidates, fundraising, observers, experts and personal observation.

SENATE

Democratic Seats (23)

Safe Democratic: (8)
Feinstein (Calif.)
Carper (Del.)
Cardin (Md.)
Klobuchar (Minn.)
Menendez (N.J.)
Gillibrand (N.Y.)
Whitehouse (R.I.)
Sanders (Vt.)

Likely Democratic: (6)
Lieberman (Conn.) - OPEN
Akaka (Hawaii) - OPEN
Stabenow (Mich.)
Casey (Pa.)
Cantwell (Wash.)
Kohl (Wis.)

Lean Democratic: (4)
Nelson (Fla.)
McCaskill (Mo.)
Brown (Ohio)
Manchin (W.Va.)

Toss-up: (5)
Tester (Mont.)
Nelson (Neb.)
Bingaman (N.M.) - OPEN
Conrad (N.D.) - OPEN
Webb (Va.) - OPEN

Republican Seats (10)

Safe Republican: (5)
Lugar (Ind.)
Wicker (Miss.)
Corker (Tenn.)
Hatch (Utah)
Barrasso (Wy.)

Likely Republican: (3)
Kyl (Ariz.) - OPEN
Snowe (Maine)
Hutchison (Texas) - OPEN

Lean Republican: (0)

Toss-up: (2)
Brown (Mass.)
Ensign (Nev.)

HOUSE

Democratic Seats (27)

Races To Watch:(3)
Carnahan (Mo.-03)
Wu (Ore.-01)
Rahall (W.Va.-3)

Toss-up: (5)
Barrow (Ga.-12)
Kissell (N.C.-08)
Heinrich (N.M.-01)
Sutton (Ohio-13)
Altmire (Pa.-04)

Lean Democratic: (10)
McNerney (Calif.-11)
Donnelly (Ind.-2)
Chandler (Ky.-06)
Peters (Mich.-09)
McIntyre (N.C.-07)
Bishop (N.Y.-01)
Owens (N.Y.-23)
Schrader (Ore.-05)
Matheson (Utah-02)
Connolly (Va.-02)

Likely Democratic: (9)
Giffords (Ariz.-08)
Himes (Conn.-04)
C. Murphy (Conn.-05) - OPEN
Loebsack (Iowa-02)
Boswell (Iowa-03)
Peters (Mich.-09)
Walz (Minn.-01)
Shuler (N.C.-11)
Critz (Pa.-12)

Republican Seats (27)

Races to Watch: (4)
Crawford (Ark.-01)
Heck (Nev.-03)
Rigell (Va.02)
Hurt (Va.-5)

Toss-up: (10)
West (Fla.-22)
Walsh (Ill.-08)
Dold (Ill.-10)
Schilling (Ill.-17)
Buerkle (N.Y.-25)
B. Johnson (Ohio-06)
Fitzpatrick (Pa.-08)
Barletta (Pa.-11)
Duffy (Wis.-07)
Farenthold (Texas-27)

Lean Republican: (8)
Ellmers (N.C.-02)
Rivera (Fla.-25)
Bass (N.H.-02)
Grimm (N.Y.-13)
Cravaack (Minn.-08)
Rehberg (Mont.-AL) - OPEN
Runyan (N.J.-03)
Canseco (Texas-23)