As West Virginia goes, so may Reid

Election handicappers Stu Rothenberg and Charlie Cook said this morning that a good early indicator of GOP success could be the West Virginia Senate race that Democrats have held since 1958.

During a morning appearance on MSNBC's Daily Rundown, the two campaign analysts said that Republicans would need to win in West Virginia to pick up the 10 seats needed to reclaim control of the Senate.

The latest Rasmussen poll showed Democrat Joe Manchin holding a slender lead over Republican John Raese as they battle to fill the seat held by the late Sen. Bob Byrd. Polls close in the state at 7 p.m. EST, well ahead of poll closings in Nevada.

If Republicans win there, Rothenberg said it would be "a large indicator" that the mid-term elections are breaking well for the Republicans.

Neither Cook nor Rothenberg expect the GOP will secure a majority in the Senate. They both project  the Republicans will fall at least two seats short, but many of the races remain toss ups including Nevada and Colorado.

Cook said that it is unlikely that final results will be known for Nevada, Washington or Alaska until late into the night or beyond.

"These aren't going to make the morning newspapers," Cook said.