POLITICS : November Cliffhangers

Many of the 71 Senate and governorship seats on the line in November elections are shaping up as high drama, but others appear to be snoozers. Here, according to the American Political Hotline, is the likelihood that the person/party in control will be ousted, on a scale from 1-5, 1 being the greatest chance for turnover.

(Open seats are in caps)

Senate Ratings

The Democrats currently control the Senate, 56-44. In the November elections, 35 of those seats are up for grabs. Democrats

1 ARIZONA MAINE OHIO OKLAHOMA TENNESSEE Charles S. Robb (Va.) 2 Dianne Feinstein (Calif) MICHIGAN Frank R. Lautenberg (N.J.) Harris Wofford (Pa.)

3 Edward M. Kennedy (Mass.) Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) Jim Sasser (Tenn.) Herbert Kohl (Wis.) 4 Paul S. Sarbanes (Md.) Bob Kerrey (D-Mass.) Richard H. Bryan (Nev.) 5 Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.) Daniel K. Akaka (Hawaii) Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-N.Y.) Kent Conrad (N.D.) Robert C. Byrd (W.Va.) GOP

1 MINNESOTA WYOMING

2 William V. Roth Jr. (Del.) MISSOURI Conrad Burns (Mont.) Kay Bailey Hutchison (Tex.)

3 Slade Gorton (Wash.)

4 Richard G. Lugar (Ind.)

5 Connie Mack (Fla.) Trent Lott (Miss.) John H. Chafee (R.I.) Orrin G. Hatch (Utah) James M. Jeffords (Vt.)

Governorship Ratings

The Democrats also hold 31 governorships, to the Republicans’ 17. The independents have 2. 36 of those offices will be contested this fall.

Democrats

1 Lawton Chiles (Fla.) HAWAII Bruce G. Sundlun (R.I.) PENNSYLVANIA

2 Roy Romer (Colo.) Bruce King (N.M.) Mario M. Cuomo (N.Y.) OKLAHOMA Ann Richards (Tex.)

3 Zell Miller (Ga.) MARYLAND TENNESSEE WYOMING OREGON

4 Jim Folsom (Ala.) Jim Guy Tucker (Ark.) IDAHO KANSAS

5 Ben. Nelson (Neb.) Robert Miller Howard Dean (Vt.)

GOP

1 Fife Symington (Ariz.) Pete Wilson (Calif.) Terry E. Branstad (Iowa)

2 MAINE SOUTH CAROLINA

3 Jim Edgar (Ill.) John Engler (Mich.) Arne Carlson (Minn.)

5 William F. Weld (Mass.) Steve Merrill (N.H.) George R. Voinovich (Ohio) SOUTH DAKOTA Tommy G. Thompson (Wis.)

Independents

1 CONNECTICUT

2 Walter J. Hickel (Alaska)

The Hottest of the Hot

1. ARIZONA SENATE: Rep. Jon Kyl (R) remains the person to beat. Late primary for Democrats, Sept. 13.

2. MAINE SENATE: This race is a toss-up with the entire Maine House delegation in the field.

3. MINNESOTA SENATE: Will party endorsements be enough for Ann Wynia (D) and Rep. Rod Grams (R) to fend off spirited primary challenges? Primary Sept. 13.

4. OHIO SENATE: In his second run for Senate, Mike DeWine (R) is hoping to beat well-funded legal entrepreneur Joel Hyatt (D).

5. OKLAHOMA SENATE: Shaping up as a race between Reps. Dave McCurdy (D) and Jim Inhofe (R).

Primary Aug. 23.

6. TENNESSEE SENATE: After slow start, attorney/actor Fred Thompson (R) has fund-raising machine in order to keep up with the well-funded Rep. Jim Cooper (D).

7. VIRGINIA SENATE: The Senate race of the century: Sen. Chuck Robb (D), Oliver North (R) and ex-Dem Gov. Doug Wilder (I). 8. WYOMING SENATE: This is one of the best chances for a Democrat pickup with popular Gov. Mike Sullivan (D) as their standard-bearer to face at-large Rep. Craig Thomas (R).

9. ARIZONA GOVERNOR: Embattled Gov. Fife Symington (R) is hoping for a messy Sept. 13 Democratic primary between ex-Phoenix Mayors Terry Goddard and Paul Johnson and grocery magnate Eddie Basha.

10) CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: A year ago, Treasurer. Kathleen Brown (D) was the heir apparent to the family political dynasty, while Gov. Pete Wilson (R) wallowed in low approval numbers. Wilson has since found his campaign stride, while Brown is still searching for a successful theme.

Source: American Political Hotline