Things Could Get Worse for Dems in 2012

If Democrats thought this election was a disaster, wait until 2012. In that election, Democrats will have more Senate seats in play than Republicans, and the party’s thin lead in the chamber could simply disappear, The Hill reports.

While Democrats have 21 seats to defend in 2012, Republicans have only 10. Independent Sens. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who caucus with Democrats, also are up for re-election.

Several Democrats swept to power in the party’s glory year of 2006 face voters again in what should be a very different political environment. The list includes Sens. Bob Casey Jr. of Pennsylvania, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Jon Tester of Montana and Jim Webb of Virginia.

In addition, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who won special elections Tuesday, will have to run again two years from now.