COLUMBUS, Ohio — Votes this November are playing not only a major role in Ohio but also on the national stage.
Political experts say Ohio's U.S. Senate race between Sherrod Brown and Bernie Moreno will not only be close, but it could determine which political party controls the Senate.
Both candidates have spent millions on their respective campaigns. As of earlier this month, Republicans had spent roughly $188.4 million on ads since the March 19 primary, compared with $159.7 million by Democrats. The parties and affiliated groups have an additional $68.5 million in ad spots reserved between now and Nov. 5.
David Niven, a political science professor at the University of Cincinnati, said out of the 34 Senate races unfolding across the nation, Ohio is one of the closest.
"It's that tight. And not only are we talking about 50/50, but we're talking about a race in Ohio that could very well itself be a 50/50 race where Sherrod Brown or Bernie Moreno could win this by a very tight margin," Niven said.
Right now, Democrats are holding onto a slim 51 to 49-seat majority.
West Virginia's Democratic Senator Joe Manchin decided not to run for re-election and political experts say that seat is now likely to flip red.
Montana and Ohio are both extremely tight races with each of their Democratic incumbents running for re-election.
If just one senator loses in November, Republicans would take control of the Senate.
"Senator John Tester, very much like Sherrod Brown, very well known, very well established, but he's running against the tide of as a Democrat in a Republican state. So the basic breakdown here is best case scenario for Democrats, they somehow get to 50 by holding Montana, holding Ohio," Niven said.
If the election ends with a 50/50 tie in the Senate, the new vice president becomes the tie-breaking vote on the Senate floor.