US mid-terms 2014: What goes on in a politician's mind?

Next week, Americans will head to the polls - this time for the country's mid-term elections.

They will be voting for members of the US Congress, for state governors and also on a host of state-wide ballot issues.

But the mid-term election comes at a time when confidence in the US Congress is at an all time low, and Americans remain politically divided.

So what's a politician to do if he or she wants to stay on Capitol Hill? The BBC's David Botti takes a look through the eyes of "you" the senator.