In an attempt to control the center, the two moderates have taken conflicing stances within their own party platforms, so that support from both left and right will be scattered in both camps. However, Bentsen's strong support from organized labor may be the trump card that allows him to eek out a narrow victory.
Virginia--The Republicans don't have a Senate candidate in Virginia, or do they? The party asked Senator Harry F. Byrd Jr., the Independent incumbent, to accept its nomination, but he declined, preferring to run again as an independent. Byrd left the Democratic party before his last campaign without seriously damaging his popularity. In the Senate he joins with the Democrats for organizational purposes, but often sides with the Republicans in opposition to legislation proposed by Senate liberals.
The Byrd family has long dominated Virginian politics, as either the current Senator or his father has held some statewide office during each of the last 50 years. Although the Democrats have a strong candidate in Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, former Chief of Naval Operations, Byrd's chances to perpetuate the family tradition are excellent.
THE MIDWEST
Indiana--No one in the Senate has survived as many "squeakers" as Vance Hartke, a Democrat from Indiana. He narrowly won his seat in 1958 and in 1970 he defeated then-Representative Richard Roudebush by only 4283 votes. In both cases, the victories were unexpected. Hartke's bag of surprises may have run out this year, however. In 18 years as a Senator he has failed to construct a solid base of support, and this severely hampers his ability to withstand the strong challenge of Republican candidate Richard G. Lugar, former mayor of Indianapolis.
Lugar ran a close race in 1974 against Senator Birch Bayh, a far more popular figure in the state than Hartke. Despite his dubious distinction of being "Richard Nixon's favorite mayor," Lugar projects an image of integrity and freshness to the voters.
Michigan--Representative Donald W. Riegle's switch from the Republican to the Democratic party several years ago might result in a Senate set for him, but he is presently locked in tight match with a fellow member of the House, Representative Marvin L. Esch. The two candidates differ most widely on the busing issue, as Riegle supports busing to achieve integration and Esch is a major sponsor of a constitutional amendment to prohibit the practice.
Nebraska--Nebraska has not elected a Democratic Senator since 1934, but the retirement of Republican Senator Roman Hruska may have created an opportunity for the Democrats to break their lengthy losing streak. The party has selected Edward Zorinsky, mayor of Omaha, as its hope to do just that. Although Zorinsky has the backing of popular Democratic Governor J.J. Exon, the race is very much a toss-up at this point. Representative John Y. McCollister, the Republican candidate, has tried to paint Zorinsky as a liberal and tie him to the national party. But this is proving difficult because Zorinsky has campaigned as a conservative who opposes abortion and busing--though the latter is hardly a burning issue in Nebraska--and who stresses the role of the private sector in dealing with national problems.
Senator Robert Taft Jr., the latest in a family of Republicans, is embroiled in a close rematch with Howard M. Metzenbaum, the Democrat he vanquished to first win the seat in 1970. Since that defeat, Metzenbaum, a Cleveland businessman, has been in and out of the Senate, as the appointee of Democratic Governor John Gilligan to replace Republican Willian B. Saxbe when Saxbe retired to become Attorney General. Metzenbaum lost his bid for election in a hard-fought 1974 primary battle against the eventual winner, Senator John Glenn (D).
That primary battle spawned an animosity between Glenn and Metzenbaum that has impaired Metzenbaum's bid to defeat Taft. Taft, a staunch conservative whose father was known to a generation of Americans as "Mister Republican," has attacked Metzenbaum for his support of the Humphrey-Hawkins full employment bill and extensive cuts in the defense budget. Metzenbaum responded with criticism of Taft for support the de-regulation of oil and natural gas prices and opposing common situs picketing.
THE FAR WEST
Arizona--Both candidates for the Arizona Senate seat vacated by retiring Republican Paul J. Fanin have emerged from difficult primary fights, but the Republican contest turned particularly ugly. The eventual winner, Representative Sam Steiger, has not received the endorsement of his opponent, Representative John B. Conlan. Conlan constructed his political base around his Christian fundamentalism and during the primary, Steiger, who is Jewish, accused his opponent's campaign of anti-Semitism.
This divisiveness gave an early lead to Democrat Dennis DeConcini, a former district attorney from the Tucson area. DeConcini has drawn fire from Steiger for his stance in favor of the decriminalization of marijunan, but the Democrat has employed his work as a prosecutor as a countervalent to charges of "liberalism."
California--In a state that has cooked up a dazzling array of eccentric political personalities, the current Senate contest between Democratic Senator John F. Tunney and Republican S.I. Hayakawa is certainly not an anomaly. Hayakawa, a conservative folk-hero from the days of campus unrest, has launched his political casreer at the ripe age of 70. With a tam-o-shanter upon his head as a trademark, the college president travels the state with a bizarre campaign style that features frequent expressions of disinterest about a wide variety of issues. Tunney's bland, Eastern style--including a Kennedyesque accent--palls in comparison with his opponent's. Hayakawa has captured the electorate's imagination, but it is highly questionable if he can capture enough of their votes to unseat Runney.
New Mexico--Most of the Senators who served on the Select Committee on Watergate benefited from the national television exposure they received. New Mexico's Democratic Senator Joseph M. Montoya, however, did not turn in a particularly stellar performance, and he may pay