Highlights of key U S Senate races

WASHINGTON, Oct 15 (Reuters) Voters will decide the balance of power on November 7 in the U S Senate, where President George W Bush's Republicans hold a six-seat advantage.

Thirty-three of the 100 Senate seats are on the ballot. Here is a capsule look at events in the past week in a few key races: CONNECTICUT - Sen Joseph Lieberman, who lost the Democratic primary to anti-war activist Ned Lamont but is running as an independent, leads Lamont by 7 per centage points in a University of Connecticut poll. Lamont put a further 2 million dollar of his own money into the campaign, bringing his total personal contributions to 8.75 million dollar.

MARYLAND - Two new ads from Democrat Ben Cardin linked Republican Lt Gov Michael Steele with Bush, calling him ''right for Bush, wrong for Maryland.'' Steele, trying to become the first black Republican senator in a quarter century, reminded voters of Cardin's long experience in politics and said he ''can't change Washington, but you and I can.'' MISSOURI - In their third debate, Democratic state Auditor Claire McCaskill said Republican Sen Jim Talent was a Bush supporter who failed ''to ask the tough questions'' of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld during Armed Services Committee hearings. ''I've asked thousands of questions,'' said Talent, who touted his sponsorship of energy legislation and a new prescription drug program.

MONTANA - An ad by Sen Conrad Burns, under pressure for taking donations from associates of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, says Democrat Jon Tester ''is backed by extremists who share his cut-and-run position in Iraq.'' With polls showing Tester ahead, his latest ad says Burns has ''gone Washington'' and supports a national sales tax.

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