Election preview: on November 5, U.S. voters will elect 36 governors, 34 Senators, and all 435 members of the House of Representatives. Will Republicans or Democrats be the big winners? (News Special).

For Representative Connie Morella (R-Maryland), no problem is too small. She even helps members of her congressional district with dog-barking complaints. As a Republican in a district where a majority of voters are Democrats, Morella has to go the extra mile.

But this year, she has been targeted by Democrats who hope to take control of the U.S. House of Representatives. According to one political analyst, Morella is now "the most vulnerable Republican in Congress."

The stakes are high in these midterm elections (held halfway through a President's term). The party that wins control of Congress can decide what laws are passed during the next two years.

In the 2000 election, Republicans won the White House and kept control of both houses of Congress--by a slim majority. That put President George W. Bush, a Republican, in a good position to get the laws he wanted passed by Congress.

But in June 2001, Vermont Senator Jim Jeffords left the Republican Party to become an independent. As a result, Democrats now hold a one-seat majority in the Senate.

With the House controlled by Republicans and the Senate by Democrats, President Bush has found it more difficult to get bills passed in Congress.

On such issues as the environment, the economy, and homeland security (see sidebar onp. 11), Congress is often gridlocked (unable to agree on new laws).

Will the balance of power shift back in the President's favor after November 5? Here are some races to watch:

The Senate: A Battle of Insiders

When Elizabeth Dole speaks, people listen--and then line up for autographs. A North Carolina native, Dole can captivate (charm) an audience with her informal style, known as the "Dole stroll."

Dole has worked for five U.S. Presidents and served as director of the American Red Cross. She also ran for President in 2000.

Now Dole hopes to win the Senate seat held since 1972 by conservative Republican Jesse Helms, who is retiring.

She must defeat Democratic candidate Erskine Bowles. Like Dole, Bowles knows a thing or two about Washington. He served as White House Chief of Staff during the Clinton Administration.

So far, Dole is ahead in the polls. President Bush boosted her candidacy by joining her on the campaign trail three times this past year. "I see a lot of enthusiasm across this state," Dole says. "I think it is looking good because we've worked hard."

New Kind of Democrat

After winning a Georgia Democratic primary (elections to choose a parry's candidate) last August, Denise Majette announced to a cheering crowd: "I may only be 5-foot-1, but tonight I am 10 feet tall!"

Democrats once won most elections in Georgia. But in the 1994 elections, Republicans swept the South and took control of Congress. In the current House, Republicans hold 8 of Georgia's 11 seats.

That may change in November. As a result of the 2000 Census, Georgia will gain two House seats, for a total of 13. Political analysts predict that Democrats will win seven of those seats.

Today's Democrats are different from the conservative Democrats of the past. The new breed tends to hold more moderate (not extreme) views. Five of the candidates--including Majette, a former judge--are African-American. If these five win, Georgia will have the largest delegation of African-Americans in Congress.

Florida's Race for Governor

Throughout the U.S., a record 18 women--including Janet Reno-- decided to run for Governor. Reno, Attorney General under President Bill Clinton, announced last year that she would run in Florida. The move seemed daring. She would have to defeat Jeb Bush, a popular Republican Governor whose brother is the President.

But first, Reno had to win the September 10 Democratic primary against Bill McBride, a newcomer to politics and a Vietnam War hero.

Like the 2000 election for U.S. President, the voting in Florida did not go smoothly. Not all of the new touch-screen voting machines worked. And some election officials closed polls early. Even though Governor Bush extended voting hours, not everyone who wanted to vote could do so.

Reno lost to McBride by less than 1 percent. She asked for a ballot recount, but election officials said no. An automatic recount comes only when the margin is less than half a percentage point.

For whom will voters in your state cast ballots on November 5? See the map on the facing page.

RELATED ARTICLE: ISSUES

The Environment

The Bush Administration favors drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Many Republicans also support drilling, which they say will help reduce our need to buy oil from foreign countries.

Most Democrats oppose drilling in ANWR. They say that the risk of doing harm to the delicate tundra is too high.

Tax Cuts

In June 2001, President Bush signed a $1.35 trillion tax cut into law. Congressional Republicans voted for the cut, saying that families would be able to keep more of their wages.

Many Democrats did not support the tax cut. They say the cuts added to the government's budget deficit (excess of spending over income).

Homeland Security

Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass legislation to create a new Department of Homeland Security. The bill for this Cabinet-level agency is now before the Senate.

The President, who proposed the department, wants to be able to hire and fire employees quickly. That way, he says, he can deal with terrorists more effectively and protect more American lives. Senate Republicans agree.

Senate Democrats insist that workers be given more protection. They also want to be able to approve President Bush's choice for the Director of the White House Office of Homeland Security.

What is it like to run for public office? Scholastic student reporters at William Land Elementary School in Sacramento, California, recently got the inside scoop. Congressman Robert Matsui (D-California) answered their questions about his campaign against Republican Richard Frankhuizen.

Below are excerpts from the students' interview with Matsui, who has represented California's 5th Election District for 23 years. Of Japanese descent, Matsui was interned (held against one's will) with his parents in a U.S. camp during World War II.

Q: What is your strategy for winning the election?

A: You have school elections, right? You want people to help you. Candidates have different points of view. In my election, I hope to represent what I stand for--my point of view.

Q: Who encouraged you to run for office?

A: When I was in college, John F. Kennedy ran for President and won. He was inspirational to young people--many of us decided to go into government. [Kennedy] inspired me to care, to think of other people. We need more good people to do this. Maybe some of you will be inspired to run for office.

Q: How will you help our schools?

A: I want to help provide an environment where teachers can do what they want--teach. They should have the resources they need: adequate salaries, books, pencils, and papers.

Q: Can you tell us about your experience in the internment camp?

A: I was born in Sacramento, but when I was 6 months old, the U.S. was at war against Japan. Mom, Dad, and I were held in an internment camp for three-and-a-half years. My parents survived by believing in their country.

Upon returning to Sacramento, they did everything possible to make life better for my younger sister and me.