What to watch for on Election Day

Today, as you probably know, is Election Day in the U.S. And, if you have a television, you also probably know that the drug industry and its pricing practices are major issues in races across the country. Here’s a look at some key contests we’ll be watching. And be sure to stay tuned to STAT as results come in this evening.

Can a pharma CEO talk his way into the Senate? We’ll find out over in New Jersey, where former Celgene CEO Bob Hugin is taking on incumbent Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez. The drug industry is not exactly among the nation’s most popular, but Menendez has enough baggage to make an upset short of unthinkable. Here’s more on the race.

Is trashing pharma a winning strategy? Sen. Claire McCaskill apparently thinks so. Facing a tough challenge in Missouri, McCaskill has made her opposition to the drug industry a front-and-center facet of her re-election campaign. It’s a bold move in an increasingly red state, and one pharma lobbyists hope ends in failure. Here’s a rundown of that contest.

Is indictment a deal-breaker? Rep. Chris Collins was a big investor in the biotech company Innate Biotherapeutics, and he took a bath when the company went pear shaped. According to federal prosecutors, he also committed insider trading during that process. And now, despite an indictment, he’s still running for re-election.