Peter Bragdon

Here's a review of the state Senate playing field as we begin the summer.

The races are divided into five categories: Strong Democratic, Lean Democratic, Toss-up, Lean Republican and Strong Republican.

Let's start with the Democrats:

Now that filings are complete, let's take a look at the field of play in the state Senate.

We're keeping an eye on 11 races as election season begins. Republicans hold five, Democrats hold six. Two are open seats, nine will be defended by incumbents. The other 13 seats are unlikely to become competitive because of the partisan tilt of the district, the presence of a strong incumbent, or both. As campaigns develop, we will revisit the list from time to time.

This morning the Sunday morning talk shows were filled with discussions about the looming state budget deficit.

On WMUR's Close Up, the panel discussed the spending cap being purposed by the New Hampshire Advantage Coalition.