Washington (CNN) -- For political junkies, 2013 was expected to be a quiet year following the presidential election and it basically followed the script.

Nonetheless, there were some interesting developments at the ballot box.

New Jersey, as expected, returned Gov. Chris Christie to office and also sent Cory Booker to the U.S. Senate. Bill de Blasio became the first Democrat elected New York City Mayor in two decades, and Democrats, led by Terry McAuliffe, swept the top three executive offices in Virginia for the first time in recent memory.

Were these outcomes isolated or do they mean anything for 2014, when candidates will heat up the campaign trail big time ahead of next November's congressional midterms and key gubernatorial elections?

In the new year, 435 House seats are up as are 35 in the Senate. There will be 36 gubernatorial races as well. Most of these campaigns won't be nail biters, but there could be collective power shifts in Washington and in state houses.

Here, CNN Politics focuses on the Senate, where Republicans aim to retake control. Republicans must pick up six seats to claim the majority and key races are wide open at this point.

The top 12 campaign questions of 2014

Five key races:

Kentucky

The incumbent is Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is under pressure from two fronts: Democrats, naturally, and from a tea party challenger within his own Republican Party who says he's not conservative enough.

While McConnell is likely to defeat his primary opponent, Matt Bevin, he is expending money and other resources he'd rather use in a general election campaign against Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes.

1. what was 2013 expected to be?
2. What would be the interesting developments?
3. What happened in New Jersey?
4. Who was the first Democrat elected mayor in two decades?
5. How many house seats were up in the new year?
6. who plans on retake control?
7. How many seats do theyneed to pick up?
8. what were the top 12 campaign questoins of 2014
9. Who is Mitch McConnell?
10. Who was Matt Bevin?
11. What is he expending money on?
12. against who?
13. What is her name?

Provide a numbered list of answers.
1. a quiet year
2. Mayoral and Gubernatorial elections
3. Gov. Chris Christie returned to office
4. Bill de Blasio
5. 435
6. Republicans
7. six
8. unknown
9. Senate Minority Leader
10. his primary opponen
11. a general election campaign
12. Kentucky Secretary of State
13. Alison Lundergan Grimes