Midterm elections 2022: The Senate, House and governor races to watch this Election Day

Tuesday is Election Day, and voters across the country are casting ballots to determine which party will control Congress, who will serve in governors' mansions and state policies in dozens of states.

• Control of the Senate may be decided in a handful of high-profile races in Georgia, Arizona and Pennsylvania, which drew last-minute campaign stops from President Joe Biden and former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

• The fate of the House follows a similar storyline. Republican challengers in Virginia, Texas and Michigan are hitting candidates over the economy and other issues to gain enough seats to take control of the House. If Democrats lose control of either chamber, Biden's ability to pass his agenda becomes more difficult.

• Governor races in 36 states, including marquee matchups in Arizona and Michigan, will decide who will represent voters closer to home.

• Ballot questions on policies ranging from abortion to marijuana and the environment are putting state policies in the hands of voters.  

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Here are the key races and ballot initiatives to watch this Election Day:

Senate majority at stake

Republicans only need to gain one seat to win control of the Senate and with it the influence to stifle the remainder of Biden's term.

Races have become closer in the lead-up to Election Day.

• Pennsylvania: Mehmet Oz vs. John Fetterman: Democrat Fetterman, who faced health issues during the campaign after suffering from a stroke, faces Republican Oz, a former celebrity doctor and TV host.

• Georgia: Sen. Raphael Warnock vs. Herschel Walker: Democratic incumbent Warnock is defending his seat against Walker, a former NFL running back who made headlines during the campaign over a Daily Beast report he paid for an ex-girlfriend's abortion.

• Arizona: Sen. Mark Kelly vs. Blake Masters: Democrat Kelly is running against Trump-backed venture capitalist Blake Masters. Fox News' Tucker Carlson has called Masters “the future of the Republican party."

• New Hampshire: Sen. Maggie Hassan vs. Don Bolduc: Democratic Sen. Hassan, a former New Hampshire governor, faces Republican candidate Bolduc, a retired army general who has received Trump's endorsement.

• Ohio: Rep. Tim Ryan vs. J.D. Vance: Ryan, who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, faces off against Republican Vance, a Trump-backed candidate and a former venture capitalist and conservative commentator.

Read more about the key Senate races to watch here. 

Will Republicans flip the House? Must-watch races in Texas, Virginia, California

Republicans are vying to take the majority in the House with Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy aiming to become House speaker. . Analysts have predicted a GOP takeover of the House given high inflation and historical trends against the party in power. Democrats are attacking conservatives on abortion rights after the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June.

• Ohio: Rep. Steve Chabot vs. Greg Landsman: Republican Chabot, who has represented the southwest Ohio district for more than 25 years, is running against Democratic candidate Landsman, a Cincinnati city councilman.

• Virginia: Rep. Abigail Spanberger vs. Yesli Vega: Moderate Democrat Spanberger faces Republican Vega, a Prince William County supervisor.

• Nevada: Rep. Dina Titus vs. Mark Robertson: Titus, the longest-serving member of the Nevada congressional delegation, is running against Republican Robertson, a businessman and financial planner who served in the military.

• California: Rep. David Valadao vs. Rudy Salas: Republican Valadao survived attacks from Trump after voting to impeach the former president to face off against Democrat Salas on Election Day.

• Texas: Rep. Mayra Flores vs. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez: Flores won a special election this summer. To serve a full term, the Republican has to win on Election Day against Democrat Gonzalez, who currently serves in the South Texas district.

• Michigan: Rep. Elissa Slotkin vs. Tom Barrett: DemocratSlotkin faces off against Barrett, a Republican state senator and Army veteran.

Read more about the key House races to watch here. 

Governor races to watch: Michigan, Georgia and Arizona

Candidates for governor are running to lead their states at a time of record high inflation and an unstable economy.

• Georgia: Gov. Brian Kemp vs. Stacey Abrams: RepublicanKemp and Democrat Abrams are facing off again for the governor's mansion after Abrams lost by half a percentage point in 2018.

• Michigan: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer  vs. Tudor Dixon: Democrat Whitmer, who faced criticism from Republicans for strictly enforcing COVID-19 rules during the pandemic, is running against Trump-backed Dixon.

• Pennsylvania: Josh Shapiro  vs. Doug Mastriano. State attorney general and Democrat Shapiro is running against Mastriano, a state legislator and Trump-backed candidate.

• Florida: Gov. Ron DeSantis vs. Charlie Crist: RepublicanDeSantis, who may be gearing up for a 2024 presidential bid, is defending his seat against Democrat Crist, a former Republican governor of Florida who switched parties and recently served in the House  representing a district on the state's Gulf Coast.

• Texas: Gov. Greg Abbott vs. Beto O'Rourke: Abbott is facing Democratic challenger O'Rourke, who sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. The race is heavily leaning in Abbott's favor.

• Arizona: Kari Lake vs. Katie Hobbs: Trump-backed Lake, a former news anchor, has spread false claims about the 2020 election. She faces Hobbs, a Democrat and Arizona's secretary of state.

Read more about the key governor's races to watch here. 

Voters to decide on abortion, marijuana, health care

Voters have a chance this election year to shape public policy by voting on ballot initiatives ranging from outlawing slavery to increasing minimum wage and changing voter ID laws.

Many of those topics have stalled in Washington D.C..

• Abortion: Four states – California, Michigan, Kentucky and Vermont – will ask voters to vote on ballot referendums relating to abortion. In Michigan, voters will decide whether to explicitly enshrine a woman's reproductive rights in the state constitution. Montana is asking voters to decide rules around infants "born-alive." Proposed amendments in California and Vermont encompass reproductive freedom as a whole including protections for guaranteeing access to contraceptives. 

• Health care: South Dakota, one of 12 states that has not expanded Medicaid, will have an opportunity to expand Medicaid eligibility. In Oregon, a ballot initiative would ensure every resident "has access to cost-effective, clinically appropriate and affordable health care as a fundamental right."

• Marijuana: Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota and Maryland are looking to legalize marijuana for residents age 21 or older. In Missouri, a proposed amendment would decriminalize marijuana use and allow those convicted of nonviolent cannabis offenses a chance to seek an early release from prison and have their criminal records expunged.

• Climate change: New York and California both have ballot referendums relating to the environment. New Yorkers will decide whether to support the issuance of $4.2 billion in bonds for projects such as flood-risk reduction, coastal shoreline restoration and land conservation. California voters will decide whether to levy a new tax for zero-emission vehicles and wildfire prevention programs.

Read more about the key ballot initiatives to watch here. 

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Midterm elections: The key House, Senate, governor races to watch