5 NY Senate races worth watching

And a look at bills on A.I. in government, spaces for artists and more.

Good afternoon — it’s Tuesday and National Punctuation Day.

In today’s CapCon:

• Five races for state Senate worth watching this year

• Bills update: A.I. in government, arts spaces and more

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There’s a lot to watch in this year’s election cycle. We’ll use this section to give you a quick look at campaign news that might interest you.

🏃‍♂️ Who’s running for state Senate?

I’ve admittedly neglected diving into this year’s races for state Senate because there are 63 members in the chamber and that’s a lot of ground to cover. But I’ve decided to set my dread aside and tell you about a few of the races folks are watching and what that could mean.

It’s unlikely Republicans will win enough seats to take the majority, which they had until 2019, when a fresh class of Democrats outnumbered their conference. Republicans hold 21 seats versus the Democrats’ 41. Republicans would need to hold on to their current roster and flip 11 seats to escape the minority.

Many Democrats in the Senate are safe in their seats, particularly if they represent part of New York City and either won or avoided a primary in June. Others are not. Here are five state Senate races worth watching.