For months, some political experts have expressed doubt that Democrats could retake control of the U.S. Senate, pointing out the fact that they are defending 24 seats, including 10 in states that Donald Trump won in 2016. But they are suddenly changing their tune amid the surge of Democratic voters in red states.

In fact, there are four states where Dems feel they can actually pick up seats. These states they see as a golden opportunity to switch from red to blue.

Arizona

Democrats feel good about Arizona. Clinton came close in Arizona in 2016, losing there by only 4 points.

The incumbent Republican senator, Jeff Flake, is departing — but he is not doing so quietly. Vehemently anti-Trump, he made a memorable speech on the Senate floor attacking the president.

The Democratic nominee is Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, who has quite a life story. She grew up very poor and has climbed the political ladder with an ever-changing political philosophy.She has, at this early stage, $5.1 million sitting in the bank, and benefits from a divisive GOP primary.

The GOP he leading candidate is Rep. Martha McSally. Some feel she might be too moderate for the rank-and-file Republicans who will vote in the August 28 primary.

The two other candidates are State Senator Kelli Ward, who ran against John McCain in 2016 and lost in a humiliating way, and disgraced former sheriff Joe Arpaio, who also holds the distinction of being Donald Trump’s first presidential pardon.

For now, Rep. Kyrsten Sinema can just sit back and enjoy the GOP skirmish.

Nevada

Nevada is the best chance for Democrats. The endangered Republican incumbent is Sen. Dean Heller. Heller barely won six years ago, by a margin of 11,000 votes. He beat Democrat Shelley Berkley, whose campaign was widely considered to be poorly managed.

This time, there are quite a few built-in advantages going for his Democratic challenger, U.S. Rep. Jacky Rosen.

Rosen has demonstrated that she can win competitive contests. Her congressional district is viewed as a swing district. Hillary Clinton won Nevada by 4 points (27,202 votes) in 2016. The state has a strong union presence, and 27 percent of its population is Latino.

But the most important element is that the GOP is in the midst of a very contentious primary. Heller is being roundly and repeatedly attacked by fellow Republican Danny Tarkanian, the son of the legendary University of Nevada-Las Vegas basketball coach. The primary is June 12.

Rosen’s chance of winning is based on a hope that the Republican primary is so nasty and brutal that whoever comes out on top will be severely damaged goods. Coupled with the fact that this state is moving blue in so many ways, Rosen will be the ultimate beneficiary. Besides, she beat Tarkanian in her 2016 congressional race.

Tennessee

While Tennessee is firmly Republican, there is one popular Democrat who has a chance. That candidate is Phil Bredesen, who has shown that he can defy the oddsmakers.

In 2002, Bredesen beat the incumbent Republican governor, Don Sundquist, and then went on to win a second term as governor in this GOP bastion. He is a staunch moderate who talks a lot about bipartisan solutions. He is wealthy and is prepared to spend his resources. He’s already airing TV ads.

The incumbent Republican, Sen. Bob Corker, has been playing Hamlet. First, he announced that he’s not going to run for re-election. Then he decides to change his mind and run and, soon after, he goes back to his original position and opts to leave the scene. So U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn will be the Republican nominee. However, she is thought to be “too extreme” for this middle-south state.

Many feel that onlyBredesen can pull Tennessee’s independents and even a good chunk of Republicans. They know him and feel comfortable with him.

Texas

A big surprise could be Texas, where U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourkes candidacy is gaining momentum. His contest with Ted Cruz is shaping up to, by far, the most fascinating in 2018.

Nov. 6 will definitely bring some surprises. Dems believe that Nevada, Arizona, Tennessee, and surprisingly Texas are in play. ShareTweet