US Senate Elections 2026
- Nov 3, 2026, USA
If you are in the UK, or anywhere besides the USA, it can seem like there is always something political going on in the US of A.
Going into 2026, there are the senate elections for 33 states, meaning that potentially 66 politicians in the US could be replaced or retain their seats for another term. At the time of writing, across the 33 states in the US that are going for senate re-elections, Republicans hold 20, and 13 are held by Democrats.
It would be a long article to go into every candidate standing for the elections, so this article will break it down a bit to help those who are fans of politics or curious about the political landscape to make sense of it!
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Politics in the US: Senators Numbers and Stats
Starting with the larger picture, in the 50 states, 22 of the states in the US have Republican senators, 21 have Democrats, and seven have a split delegation, which means they either have one senator from each party or there are independent candidates. So, at least 29 states have at least one Republican senator.
Now, you may be wondering what senators do. They make laws in the state that they represent, as well as approve international treaties and laws that the President wants to put through, and, if needed, they also conduct impeachment trials.
As before, it would be too long to go into each state that is electing their senators in 2026, but some of the notable ones include:
- Georgia
- Michigan
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- North Carolina
- Virginia
Why are these the most notable? They are swing states, meaning they have historically voted in the elections for Republicans and Democrats. They could pose the largest impact on the Presidential rule, so they are of particular interest to political fans moving into 2026.
Democrats or Republicans: Who is Predicted to Get the Most Seats?
Going into the senate elections, the Republicans hold the majority, and polls from the Cook Political Report highlight that the Republicans are likely to maintain and even build their senate numbers in 2026.
To achieve the majority in the elections, the Democrats would need to retain all their current senators and flip at least four seats. The emphasis of these potential shifts in power is focused on the senators in Georgia (Democrat Senator Jon Ossoff), Michigan (retiring Senator Gary Peters), Maine (Republican Senator Susan Collins), and North Carolina (Republican Senator Thom Tillis).
How Long Can Someone Be A Senator For?
Each state in the US has two senators who serve for six years, with elections being staggered so that around one-third of the Senate is re-elected every two years.
Who Can Vote for Senators in the USA?
The system of voting for senators can seem complicated, so this is an attempt to simplify it a bit!
Senators are elected by the people in their respective states. The voters must reside in that state, be aged 18 years or older and must also be registered to vote. The voters in each state cast their ballots in the direct elections for the candidates.
This rather simplified system was established in the 17th Amendment to the US Constitution in 1913. Before this, state legislatures chose senators, which, understandably, didn’t sit too well with the electorate.
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