Alaska
Dan Sullivan, Republican
Sullivan has served under some of the best-known names in American politics – working as Alaska attorney general during Sarah Palin’s gubernatorial term, and for Condoleezza Rice when she was secretary of state and national security adviser. He opposes abortion except in situations where the mother’s life is at risk, incest or rape.
Arkansas
Tom Cotton, Republican
The US army veteran earned accolades from rightwing commentators in 2006 after writing an open letter calling for the arrest of two New York Times reporters over a piece they wrote about a top-secret government program that tracked terrorist finances. He represented Arkansas’ fourth district.
Colorado
Cory Gardner, Republican
Immigration activists targeted Gardner before the midterms because of concerns about his position. Since 2011, he has served as a congressman in the state’s fourth district. He was endorsed by the beloved former quarterback of the Broncos, John Elway, and the Denver Post, which said: “A dysfunctional Congress calls for action when voters have an attractive option to the gridlocked status quo. And in Colorado, thankfully, they do in Cory Gardner.”
Georgia
David Perdue, Republican
With a family political dynasty, millions of dollars and polished looks, Perdue has drawn comparisons with Mitt Romney. His cousin is former state governor Sonny Perdue, and he is a former CEO of Fortune 500 company Dollar General. “I have a lot of respect for Romney,” he told the Guardian in May. “If we would all have done what we should have, he would be president.”
Iowa
Joni Ernst, Republican
The self-described pig-castrating farm girl owned her reputation in her victory speech. “We are heading to Washington and we are going to make ‘em squeal!” said Ernst, who also served in Iraq as a member of the national guard. She is taking over from retired Democrat Tom Harkin, and Ernst promised to fight the opposing party on things including the Affordable Care Act, minimum wage and abortion rights.
Michigan
Gary Peters, Democrat
Peters was one of the few new Democrats to make it to the Senate. As congressman for the state’s 14th district, Peters has been fighting for increased environmental regulations in response to tar sands production in the region. He previously worked at Merrill Lynch and was state lottery commissioner.
Montana
Steve Daines, Republican
California-born Daines defeated teacher Amanda Curtis to become the first Republican to hold that Senate seat since 1913. He is a congressman for the state’s at-large district, a position he has held since last year. Prior to that, he worked in the private sector, including a 13-year stint at Procter & Gamble.
Nebraska
Ben Sasse, Republican
The Tea Party-backed Sasse wrestled at Harvard and played on the football team at Oxford, where he studied abroad. From there, he went on to consultancy and then held several positionsin George W Bush’s administration. He is the president of Midland University, a private school in Omaha. He is fervently opposed to the Affordable Care Act, which has seen the number of Americans without health insurance reduced by about 25%.
North Carolina
Thom Tillis, Republican
Another with a background in business, Tillis is relatively new to politics. He was elected to the state’s house of representatives in 2006 and became speaker for the house in 2011. He believes Obamacare is “a cancer on our national economy” and that energy policies created by the president “have destroyed jobs and caused energy prices to skyrocket.” The News & Observer reported in April that money he received for the campaign overlaps with his interests as a powerful legislator.
Oklahoma
James Lankford, Republican
Prior to entering the political world, Lankford was director of Falls Creek, Oklahoma’s largest Christian youth camp and one of the largest such camps in the US. He said he felt a calling to run for Congress and has served as the representative for the fifth district since 2011. Lankford said on his campaign site: “I ask for your vote so I can join the fight to bring common sense and solutions to a place that lacks both.”
West Virginia
Shelley Moore Capito, Republican
Capito is the first woman elected to the US Senate from West Virginia. She is one of several candidates that is part of a political dynasty – her father Arch Moore served three terms as state governor and represented the state in Congress. Prior to winning the Senate seat, Capito had served as a congresswoman for the state’s second district since 2001. She has also been a key member of the Capitol Hill softball team, winning a defensive MVP title in 2012, according to the Washington Post.
