Americans will soon go to the polls in the first midterm election of the new century. This elections carries added significance because it is the first major election since President George W. Bush took office. It is also the first election since the 2000 census redrew congressional lines all around the nation. States like California and Texas gained congressional seats, while others, such as Pennsylvania, lost seates.

Every seat in the U.S. House of Representatives is up for reelection, along with one-third of the U.S. Senate seats. And each and every Senate race is under close scrutiny this year. Only one of these elections could tip the balance of power between which political party—Democrats or Republicans—will control the Senate.

To cover this year's election, Scholastic News Online recruits student reporters in five states to interview political leaders about the big issues. Their stories are included in this News In-depth.

Students in California, Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, and Illinois interviewed candidates for Congress and U.S Senate. They also talked to campaign workers, voters, and each other for information. Their stories highlight what politicians—and classrooms—are like around the nation!

Stories include:

• The U.S. Senate race in Illinois where a Chicago classroom grilled the two candidates during a school wide assembly.
• The fight for a redrawn congressional seat in Pennsylvania, with an incumbent facing opposition in new district after the state lost two seats in the House of Representatives.
• A look at the race for Governor of California and a Congressional district in the state's capital.
• A Congressional race in Brooklyn, New York, with no opponent to challenge the charismatic incumbent.
• The battle for the Central Texas Congressional seat that is home to U.S. President George W. Bush.