“For weeks, top Democrats in Washington have watched with cautious restraint as Republicans dumped millions into red states like Kansas and South Carolina to defend an increasingly shaky Senate map,” CNN reports.

“But Democrats increasingly believe they have a real chance to win seats deep in Trump territory as Republicans face their worst midterm environment in decades and the Senate map abruptly expands.”

“Sen. Chris Murphy wants Democrats to go big for Angie Nixon in Florida’s Senate race — and he’s pushing to raise some ‘serious money’ to help,” Politico reports.

Said Murphy: “I do believe that we’d make a big mistake if we slept on Florida. I know it feels like a longer shot, but I just think this year is looking exceptional.”

“Kansas has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1932. The Republican domination of the state’s two Senate seats, lasting nearly a century, is one of the longest partisan winning streaks in Senate history,” the New York Times reports.

“But suddenly, a megachurch pastor who became a Democrat this spring appears to have a shot at breaking it.”

“A race that once barely registered nationally has emerged as one of the most unexpected battlegrounds on a midterm map that has rapidly expanded into longtime Republican strongholds. The arrival of the pastor, Adam Hamilton, as a serious Senate contender in Kansas has come so fast, it appears to have caught the incumbent Republican, Senator Roger Marshall, by surprise.”

New Republic: “A perfect storm could be brewing in Kansas to elect a Democratic senator for the first time since 1932. Methodist pastor Adam Hamilton’s skills as a candidate, experts say, combined with uniquely bad conditions for the state’s farmers, could be the right ingredients for an upset.”

“The problem is numbers: Registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats in the state almost two to one.”

“The top super PAC for Senate Democrats is reserving $5 million in advertisements in Kansas’ newly competitive Senate race, signaling that the party sees a serious chance of winning a red state that once seemed out of reach,” the New York Times reports.

“The group, Senate Majority PAC, will spend the money on television spots and digital ads through Election Day, an investment to help narrow the gap between Republican and Democratic spending in the state.”

“Sen. Jon Ossoff hammered Rep. Mike Collins, his opponent in the Georgia Senate race, over his connections to staff and family members who have propagated white supremacist views,” the Washington Sun reports.

“He called Collins a ‘bigot’ and at one point in the hour-long debate on Thursday said he had ‘hired half the Third Reich to staff his congressional office.'”

Said Ossoff: “Imagine running for the U.S. Senate while neo-Nazi propaganda is disseminated to an audience of millions from your home. That’s Mike Collins.”

Washington Post: Takeaways from Georgia Senate debate between Jon Ossoff, Mike Collins.

Punchbowl News: “The Senate battleground has stretched to include some of the reddest states from Kansas to Alaska. Trump is even heading to the Last Frontier next week to help incumbent GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan, who faces a tough challenge from former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola.”

“But here’s a crazy thought: What if Democrats win nearly all of these races? What if they end up with 52 seats heading into the 120th Congress, making Minority Leader Chuck Schumer the Senate majority leader once again?”

“Some Democrats are privately speculating this could happen. They’re getting closed-door briefings from DSCC Chair Kirsten Gillibrand and other party strategists that are leaving them somewhat giddy over the possibilities.”