Republican Candidates Could Change Balance of Power in November

By Samantha Hayes, CNN|NEWS 9 Contributor

WASHINGTON -- The end of Labor Day weekend means the unofficial start of election season.

Even without a presidency hanging in the balance, this year's mid-term elections could have a huge impact on the direction of the country.

Thirty-seven U.S. Senate seats, and all 435 spots in the U.S. House of Representatives will be up for grabs November 2.

In Oklahoma, four of the state's five representatives and both senators will be decided by ballot.

The Democrats control Congress, but the balance of power could change, according to CNN's Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser.

"With the state of the U.S. economy right now, and with that anti-incumbent feeling among many Americans, Republicans actually have a pretty good shot at winning back at least the House of Representatives," Steinhauser said.

The GOP would need to pick up 39 seats to win a majority in the House, and ten seats to control the Senate.

The party in power will decide which bills are brought to a vote.

Thirty-seven governors will also be chosen on Election Day.

Oklahoma will elect its first female governor - either Democrat Jari Askins or Republican Mary Fallin.

The winners could have a significant impact on the eventual makeup of the House of Representatives.

"The new governors, whoever they are, and whoever controls the state legislatures, are going to have a huge say in redistricting, and redistricting could change the face of Congress over the next couple of years," Steinhauser said.

Republicans running for Congress now hold a seven-point lead in a generic ballot, according to the latest CNN Opinion Research Poll.

"Unless something dramatically changes in the next nine weeks, this is going to be a watershed year for the Republican Party," said Republican analyst Susan Molinari.

But Democratic strategists think their candidates can still come from behind.

"You're going to run as an individual candidate trying to localize your race as much as you can," said Democratic Strategist KiKi McLean. "In that instance I think there will be room for Democrats to do better than expected."

And with two months to go before Election Day, there's still plenty of time for the unexpected to happen for candidates in either party.

More:

• Meet Oklahoma's Candidates for U.S. House, U.S. Senate & Governor
• Voting 101: NEWS 9 Election Guide