Competitive three-way races continue to be a rarity, but the introduction of the Tea Party has increased those numbers this election season. In states where they are taking place, third-time has not proved a charm for political analysts.Instead, it has skewed the numbers and may lead to surprising results in some critical races.

In Alaska, analysts see Tea Party Republican candidate Joe Miller splitting the moderate to liberal Republican vote between incumbent Lisa Murkowski, running as a write-in candidate, and Democrat Scott McAdams. Florida may prove a mirror-image to Alaska's three-way race: Republican Tea Party candidate Marco Rubio polls as the most likely to win the Senate seat, but after a nod from former President Bill Clinton, Gov. Charlie Crist looks set to take some ballots away from Democratic candidate Kendrick Meek.

Florida taxpayers spend roughly $45 million a year subsidizing health care for government employees. More than 27,000 government officials – including Governor Charlie Crist (R-Fla.), now a candidate for U.S. Senate – pay no premiums at all. Once a simple benefit of public service, these perks are now being called into question amid the nationwide debate over healthcare reform. For more on the story, we speak with Beth Reinhard, political writer for the Miami Herald.