Races to watch in Virginia on Tuesday

Virginia Republicans need to capture three more seats in the state Senate on Tuesday to win a majority there and cement their control of state government. Here's a look at the most closely watched Senate races.

1st District: Republican Mickey Chohany, a Williamsburg businessman, takes on first-term Democratic Sen. John Miller of Newport News. Miller is under fire for taking a job with an aviation company after supporting a bill to give it a tax break.

6th District: Tea Party-backed Republican Ben Loyola is challenging Sen. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, in a district that includes parts of Norfolk, Virginia Beach and the Eastern Shore and Mathews County.

17th District: Longtime Fredericksburg-area Democratic Sen. Edward Houck faces businessman Bryce Reeves, a Republican, in an expensive race - combined spending has topped $2 million - marked by negative advertising.

20th District: A three-way race between two sitting senators - neophyte Republican Sen. Bill Stanley, who moved into the Southside district after reapportionment, and veteran Democratic Sen. Roscoe Reynolds - and conservative independent Jeff Evans. Gov. Bob McDonnell's giving suggests the race is a top GOP priority: He's contributed more than $93,000 to Stanley.

21st District: Democratic Sen. John Edwards, a lawyer, is being challenged by Republican Del. Dave Nutter, who works in economic development at Virginia Tech.

22nd District: Republican Tom Garrett, a commonwealth's attorney, and businessman Bert Dodson, a Democrat who spent 12 years on the Lynchburg City Council, compete to represent a new district west of Richmond.

29th District: Republican Tom Gordy, a Navy Reserve officer who previously served on U.S. Rep. Thelma Drake's staff, seeks to end the 35-year reign of Prince William County Democratic Sen. Chuck Colgan.

36th District: Jeff Frederick, a former state Republican chairman, challenges Sen. Linda "Toddy" Puller, a Democrat who has represented Northern Virginia for two decades.

37th District: Republican businessman Jason Flanary opposes Democratic Sen. Dave Marsden, who won state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's former seat in a 2010 special election.

38th District: Nearly $1.8 million has been spent on the contest between Sen. Phil Puckett of Russell County, a Democrat who has broken with President Barack Obama, and Republican Adam Light, a businessman who has tried to tarnish his opponent by linking him to the White House.

39th District: First-term Sen. George Barker, a Fairfax County Democrat and health care consultant, is trying to fend off a challenge from constitutional lawyer Miller Baker. Both have received six-figure contributions from party donors.