On Tuesday, the nation will return to the polls and vote in a crucial midterm election that will determine who controls Congress as well as various states. Among those various races there are three that have caught local as well as national attention and could alter the balance of power at the local and national levels.

New Jersey's 5th Congressional District

In an unexpected turn of events, a campaign assumed to be a cakewalk for the Republican incumbent, Scott Garrett, has turned into a neck-to-neck race with his Democratic challenger Roy Cho.

According to NBC News, Cho shrunk Garrett's lead down to five points after a scathing attack on Garrett's voting record on Hurricane Sandy relief. The 33-year-old Korean-American attorney has pushed ahead thanks to a grassroots campaign, forcing the Tea Party-backed Garrett to suppress his conservatism.

The race may be close, however, NJ.com reports a more recent poll has pushed Garrett ahead by 11 points. Although Cho can still recover, there is a chance that Garrett may return to the House for a seventh term.

Iowa Senate Race

Another race that could decide the fate of the U.S. Senate is the one between Republican Joni Ernst and Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley. Differing from the above New Jersey race, which remains contentious, Ernst looks like the favorite winner in this race, according to Des Moines Register.

The conservative state senator and former military polled at 51 percent in the Register's latest poll, ahead of Braley's 44 percent. The race's result could prove a turning point in this election. Ernst's win could tip the balance in favor of Republicans, but if Braley wins, Democrats' chances will improve.

Florida's Gubernatorial Race

In a last ditched attempt to stem Democratic challenger Charlie Crist's rising star, incumbent Republican Governor Rick Scott has funneled around $13 million of his personal money to his campaign, reports the Tampa Bay Times.

The campaign has spent $13 million in TV ads in the last eight days of the race and with good reason. According to Forbes, a Zogby Analytics poll shows Crist leading Scott 45 percent to 38. Another poll by PPP puts the candidates at a tie. The polls say Crist is leading among minorities, women and people under 50.

These three races, in their own way, could showcase the mood of the nation as well as the GOP's success in appealing to a diverse electorate.

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