Democrats are set to take the Senate, buoyed by President Donald Trump’s unpopularity and voter discontent with the economy and cost of living.
Republicans currently control the Senate 53 to 47 and senators serve six-year terms, meaning a third of the Senate is up every election cycle.
Here are the top Senate races The 19th has been watching in 2026:
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Alaska | Florida | Illinois | Iowa | Kansas | Louisiana | Maine | Michigan | Nebraska | New Hampshire | Minnesota | Ohio | South Carolina | Texas
Alaska
Mary Peltola, a Democrat who was the first Alaska Native elected to Congress in 2022, is challenging GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan. Peltola, a fisherwoman herself, is running on an Alaska-focused platform centered on lowering prices and protecting the fisheries industry — her slogan is “fish, family and freedom.” Alaska is solidly Republican at the presidential level but is known for its independent streak, giving Democrats hope of pulling off a long-shot pickup. But Alaska’s unique voting system and the presence of another Daniel Sullivan, reportedly recruited into the race by Democrats linked to Peltola, on the ranked-choice ballot have led to accusations of trickery and foul play. The Trump administration’s Department of Justice has threatened to sue to block certification of the results if Sullivan loses. Peltola, along with Minnesota’s Peggy Flanagan, could be the first Native woman in the U.S. Senate.
Florida
GOP Sen. Ashley Moody, who was appointed to replace Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Senate, is running for a full term against Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon, a democratic socialist running on a progressive platform. Nixon’s campaign has gained significant momentum and national attention — even in a deep-red state that backed President Donald Trump by 13 percentage points in 2024. Nixon, if elected, would be Florida’s first Black senator and would expand the ranks of Black women in the Senate.
Illinois
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton won Illinois’ Democratic Senate primary and is all but certain to make history as one of three Black women to serve in the upper chamber at the same time. Stratton will face former Illinois Republican Party Chair Don Tracy in November.
Iowa
GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson, widely seen as a rising star in Republican politics, is running for the open Senate seat vacated by Sen. Joni Ernst’s retirement. She will face Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek in November. Iowa has voted for President Donald Trump three times, but it’s still on the map for Democrats as they aim to flip the Senate. Republicans’ main line of attack in Iowa has been over transgender rights. That prompted Turek, a former Paralympic athlete, to release an ad clarifying he doesn’t support “males competing in female sports” — messaging that drew backlash from some of his fellow Democrats.
Kansas
GOP Sen. Roger Marshall is facing an unexpectedly strong challenge from Democrat Adam Hamilton, the pastor of the state’s largest Methodist congregation. Marshall, an OBGYN, has faced scrutiny for his history of aggressive debt collection practices, which he’s defended.
Louisiana
Rep. Julia Letlow ultimately emerged victorious from a primary in which Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy became the first incumbent elected U.S. senator to lose renomination in 14 years. Letlow was first elected to the U.S. House in 2021 to take the place of her late husband, Luke Letlow, who died of COVID-19.
Maine
Republican Sen. Susan Collins is facing former Maine state Senate President Troy Jackson in what could be her toughest race yet. Collins has long defied political gravity to win reelection in a Democratic-leaning state with a moderate image and record of bringing back federal dollars to the state, but is up against the headwinds of high prices and Trump’s unpopularity.
Michigan
Former Wayne County public health official Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive Democrat, is facing Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Gary Peters. El-Sayed, who defeated the more moderate Rep. Haley Stevens in a contentious and expensive Democratic primary, would be the first Muslim U.S. senator if elected.
Minnesota
Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is running against Republican ex-sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya in November for the U.S. Senate seat opened by Democratic Sen. Tina Smith’s retirement. But she’s running in a closer-than-expected race in solidly blue Minnesota, where Gov. Tim Walz is an unpopular figure. Flanagan, along with Alaska’s Mary Peltola, could be the first Native woman in the U.S. Senate.
Nebraska
Independent candidate Dan Osborn is challenging GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts in Nebraska, which voted for Trump by over 20 points in the 2024 election. Osborn, who ran against but lost to Sen. Deb Fischer that year also as an independent, says he won’t caucus with either major party in Washington.
New Hampshire
Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas and Republican John E. Sununu are running to succeed the retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. Pappas, who is favored to win the race, would be the first out gay man to serve in the Senate.
Ohio
Sen. John Husted, who was appointed to replace Vice President JD Vance, is running for a full term in a competitive tossup race against Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown, who represented the state in the Senate from 2007 to 2025.
South Carolina
Former Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sudden death in July opened up an unexpectedly competitive race for U.S. Senate between his sister Darline Graham, who was appointed to fill his seat, and Democrat Annie Andrews in deep-red South Carolina, which backed Trump by 18 points in 2024. Andrews, a mother and a pediatrician, is making access to healthcare and public health central to her campaign message.
Texas
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who clinched the GOP’s nomination for U.S. Senate over incumbent GOP Sen. John Cornyn, will face Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in the general election. A Democrat hasn’t won statewide in Texas in over 30 years, but Democrats are hoping to flip the seat in their quest to win back the Senate.
