Louisiana's Senate race — and control of Congress — could be decided in a runoff

Louisiana's key Senate race looks to be headed for a December runoff that could determine which party controls the upper chamber of Congress next year, according to a CNN poll released Sunday.

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) leads in the survey among likely voters at 43 percent, followed by Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy with 40 percent, and Tea Party-affiliated Rob Maness at nine percent. There are nine candidates on the ballot, but if no one receives 50 percent of the vote, there will be a December runoff between the top two finishers.

Louisiana's race is one of the crucial toss-up contests where Republicans could pick off a Democrat and boost their chances of taking the Senate. Meaning, if no candidate hits the 50 percent threshold on election day, it's possible control of the upper chamber could be decided one month later in a runoff.

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