The 2026 midterm elections will decide control of all 435 House seats and 34 Senate seats, with several early contests in states such as Texas, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, California, and Georgia already drawing attention. The outcomes could reshape the balance of power in Congress and influence the final years of President Donald Trump’s second term, as well as positioning both parties for the 2028 presidential race.
Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in both the Senate and the House, making the 2026 midterm elections a pivotal test of the party’s grip on Congress and of President Donald Trump’s agenda in his second term. The contests will help define the policy landscape heading into the 2028 presidential race.
In 2026, all 435 House seats will be on the ballot, as they are every two years. In the Senate, 34 seats are scheduled to be contested, not 35 as sometimes reported, according to the current election class schedule.
Many of the most closely watched races identified so far track with a list compiled by The Daily Wire, which highlighted early flashpoints in Texas, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, California and Georgia.
Texas
In Texas, state Attorney General Ken Paxton, a close ally of Trump, has announced a Republican primary challenge to longtime GOP Senator John Cornyn. Paxton has cast Cornyn as too aligned with the Washington establishment and has framed the race as a battle against what he calls the "swamp." In a statement highlighted by The Daily Wire, Paxton said, “Cornyn’s swamp friends are spending tens of millions of dollars to attack me.”
Cornyn has pushed back sharply. The Daily Wire reports that Cornyn has labeled Paxton a "con man" and a "fraud" as the two trade barbs heading into the primary.
Who will ultimately emerge as the Democratic nominee remains uncertain. The Daily Wire notes that former Democratic Representative Colin Allred is seen as a potential contender if he chooses to run. Other Democrats, such as state lawmakers who gained attention during the 2021 quorum-breaking dispute over Texas voting legislation, have been discussed in political circles, but no comprehensive field is set, and some of the specific names and race statuses mentioned in earlier reporting are not yet confirmed by major outlets. As of now, the eventual Republican nominee is expected to face a still-forming Democratic field.
Maine
In Maine, Republican Senator Susan Collins is expected to seek another term, which would be her fifth. She is already drawing attention from national observers because of her long tenure in a swing state and her history of competitive races.
The Daily Wire reports that one Democratic challenger is Graham Platner, an oyster farmer whose campaign has faced early turbulence. According to that report, Platner has drawn scrutiny over resurfaced online posts, including Reddit comments critical of police and statements in which he described himself as a "communist," as well as controversy over a tattoo that critics say resembles a Nazi symbol. The article also notes that Platner’s campaign has suffered staff turnover, including the departures of his campaign manager and political director, and cites polling suggesting Collins maintains an advantage as more voters learn about him.
Because these details about Platner’s background and staffing have so far appeared primarily in partisan outlets and have not been widely corroborated by multiple independent news organizations, they should be treated as early, campaign-season claims rather than fully settled facts.
Michigan
Michigan will feature an open Senate seat in 2026, drawing significant attention from both parties. The Daily Wire identifies a competitive Democratic primary field that includes Representative Haley Stevens, state Senator Mallory McMorrow and former Detroit health director Abdul El-Sayed.
According to The Daily Wire, Stevens has received the backing of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, while El-Sayed is supported by Senator Bernie Sanders. Those alignments are consistent with the national profiles of those Democrats: Pelosi has previously backed more centrist Democrats in contested primaries, and Sanders has a history of supporting progressive candidates such as El-Sayed.
The Daily Wire further reports that the eventual Democratic nominee is expected to face former Republican Representative Mike Rogers, who, according to that outlet, narrowly lost a 2024 Senate race and holds Trump’s endorsement going into 2026. That account places Rogers as attempting a political comeback after his prior statewide loss.
Ohio
Ohio is another state where a rematch-style contest is taking shape. The Daily Wire reports that former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, who lost his seat in 2024 to Republican Bernie Moreno, is running in 2026 to return to the Senate.
According to that reporting, Brown’s opponent is expected to be Republican Senator Jon Husted, who was appointed to fill Vice President JD Vance’s former Senate seat. Husted, a former Ohio lieutenant governor, is described as having stepped into the upper chamber after Vance joined Trump on the 2024 Republican ticket.
Brown has faced criticism from Republican opponents and some watchdogs over donations from companies tied to the opioid crisis and for attending a high-profile Hollywood fundraiser while residents of East Palestine worried about water quality in the aftermath of the 2023 train derailment. The Daily Wire emphasizes those episodes as examples of what it describes as Brown’s vulnerability on questions of consistency and priorities. Other outlets have also covered scrutiny of campaign contributions related to the opioid industry and public anger over elected officials’ handling of the East Palestine disaster, though interpretations of Brown’s record differ along partisan lines.
California
In California, one of the most closely watched House races is the battle to succeed former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in her San Francisco–based district. Pelosi has signaled she will not serve indefinitely and is expected to leave the House in the near future, though she has not publicly detailed the exact timing of her departure.
According to The Daily Wire, Pelosi is reported to favor San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan as her preferred successor, while many observers see California state Senator Scott Wiener as a leading contender. The Daily Wire characterizes Wiener as a strongly progressive lawmaker whose record on issues including LGBTQ rights, sex work and youth gender medicine has drawn intense debate. Some mainstream outlets have published critical coverage of specific bills he has sponsored, while others describe him as a prominent liberal voice in California politics. How those positions will play with the district’s heavily Democratic electorate remains an open question.
Georgia
Georgia will also be a focal point in 2026, with Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff up for re-election. The Daily Wire notes that Republicans have not yet settled on a nominee to challenge him, and a number of potential candidates are being mentioned in GOP circles. At this stage, however, no full Republican field is officially set, and specific names continue to shift as party leaders and donors assess the race.
Ossoff is expected to enter the cycle with a substantial campaign war chest, reflecting both the national attention his 2021 special-election victory received and the high stakes attached to Senate control in 2026. Precise figures on his cash on hand will become clearer in official campaign finance filings closer to the election.
Other races and outlook
Beyond these marquee contests, handicappers and prediction markets are beginning to flag dozens of competitive U.S. House races across the country, particularly in districts that were narrowly decided in 2024. Early analysis from outlets including The Daily Wire and election forecasters suggests that Democrats see significant opportunities to claw back seats in suburban and swing districts, while Republicans are seeking to defend their majorities and capitalize on any backlash against the Biden–Harris and then Trump administrations.
With more than a year to go before voters head to the polls in November 2026, many details — from candidate fields to fundraising totals and polling — remain fluid. But the outlines of the battle for Congress are already coming into view, with Texas, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, California and Georgia emerging as early laboratories for the arguments both parties hope will carry them into 2028.