U.S. Midterms: Key Senate battlegrounds

Democrats
Republicans

CURRENT SENATE
2026 ELECTION

51 seats to win

47
53
34
31
35

seats not up for election
seats not up for election
seats up for re-election – 13 Democrat, 22 Republican

Democrats need to flip four seats, while defending their two most vulnerable seats in Michigan and Georgia to win control of the 100-seat Senate in the midterm elections

TO WATCH
Independent analysts only see nine of those 35 races as competitive

Lean Dem
Toss-up

Maine
Ohio
Michigan
Alaska
Texas
Georgia
Iowa
North Carolina
New Hampshire

Maine: Republican incumbent Susan Collins (pic) faces Democrat Troy Jackson after progressive Graham Platner withdrew amid sexual assault allegations

Ohio: Former Democratic senator Sherrod Brown (pic) seeks comeback against Republican incumbent Jon Husted, testing party’s appeal to white, working-class voters

Michigan: Progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed (pic) faces former Republican congressman Mike Rogers in fiercely contested race for crucial seat

Alaska: Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan faces former Democratic congress-woman Mary Peltola (pic) in competitive race, with Sullivan seeking third term

Texas: Democrat James Talarico (pic), former Presbyterian seminarian, faces Republican Ken Paxton, Trump-backed attorney general with history of scandals, in close race

Georgia: Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff (pic), seen as possible 2028 presidential candidate, runs for re-election against Republican congress-man Mike Collins

Iowa: Republicans face tougher-than-usual contest as congress-woman Ashley Hinson fights to win seat against former Paralympic basketball player Josh Turek (pic)

North Carolina: Democrats see strong chance to flip seat as former Democratic governor Roy Cooper (pic) holds lead over Republican Michael Whatley in polls

New Hampshire: Democrat congressman Chris Pappas (pic) faces former Republican senator John E Sununu in race Democrats need to win to retake chamber

Sources: Reuters, AP, FT
Pictures: Newscom, Getty Images
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