Key midterm election races that will determine control of Congress

U.S. Senate, Georgia
Jon Ossoff (D) vs. Mike Collins (R)
Incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is taking on GOP Rep. Mike Collins, a Trump-endorsed candidate, for a crucial seat in November. The race has captured national attention as Trump has personally attacked Ossoff, while Collins has been swept up in a House ethics investigation and faced questions about his son-in-law, a White nationalist influencer.

U.S. Senate, Iowa
Josh Turek (D) vs. Ashley Hinson (R)
Current GOP Sen. Joni Ernst decided not to run for a third term, setting up Iowa’s first open Senate race since 2014. Democratic State Rep. Josh Turek, a two-time gold medalist Paralympian, faces Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, a former TV anchor now in her third term in Congress.

U.S. Senate, Maine
Susan Collins (R) vs Troy Jackson (D)
Collins was seen as one of the GOP’s most vulnerable senators in 2026. But Democrats’ efforts to unseat her were complicated when their nominee Graham Platner dropped out of the race amid allegations of sexual assault. Jackson, the former Maine Senate president and logger, was picked to replace Platner.

U.S. Senate, Michigan
Abdul El-Sayed (D) vs. Mike Rogers (R)
Running on a progressive platform, El-Sayed won a bruising primary that saw much of the Democratic party establishment back his opponent. Rogers, who served seven terms in the House, is making his second bid for a Senate seat after losing to Elissa Slotkin in 2024.

U.S. Senate, New Hampshire
John E. Sununu (R) vs. Chris Pappas (D)
Republicans are hoping that former Sen. John Sununu can flip the seat held by retiring Democrat Jeanne Shaheen. Sununu is endorsed by Trump and won the GOP primary over former Massachusetts Sen. Chris Brown. U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas is the Democratic nominee.

U.S. Senate, North Carolina
Roy Cooper (D) vs. Michael Whatley (R)
Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a moderate who served two terms, faces off against former Republican National Chair Michael Whatley, a close Trump ally.

U.S. Senate, Ohio
Jon Husted (R) vs. Sherrod Brown (D)
Brown, who served three terms in the Senate before losing to Bernie Moreno in 2024, is making a bid to return to Washington in a special election for the final two years of JD Vance’s term. He faces incumbent Husted, who was appointed to fill the vacant Senate seat when Vance became vice president.

U.S. Senate, Texas
Ken Paxton (R) vs. James Talarico (D)
Ken Paxton, Texas’ state attorney general, ousted incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary after receiving Trump’s endorsement. He faces a stiff challenge from state Rep. James Talarico in what will be one of the most closely watched contests of 2026.

U.S. House, New York’s 17th District 
Cait Conley (D) vs. Rep. Mike Lawler (R)
Lawler is defending his House seat, and Conley will challenge him. Lawler, who is typically seen as a moderate, hosted a campaign rally with President Donald Trump in May, despite representing one of the most Democratic-leaning districts held by a Republican. 

U.S. House, New Jersey’s 7th District 
Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R) vs. Rebecca Bennett (D)
Kean is defending his seat after a four-month hiatus from Congress this year without a word from the representative put the race in the spotlight. Kean has since said that depression and hospitalization were to blame for his absence, but Bennett hopes to oust him. The suburban district has been highly competitive in recent years. 

U.S. House, Colorado’s 8th District  
Rep. Gabe Evans (R) vs. state Rep. Manny Rutinel (D)
The district, which was created after the 2020 census, is one of the nation’s top battleground districts: Evans won by only 0.8 percentage points in 2024. 

U.S. House, Arizona’s 6th District 
Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R) vs. JoAnna Mendoza (D)
Incumbent Ciscomani faces three challengers for his Tucson-area seat, including Navy and Marine Corps veteran Mendoza. The district is a Democratic target that has been closely contested in recent election cycles. 

U.S. House, Pennsylvania’s 7th District 
Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R) vs. Bob Brooks (D)
Mackenzie flipped the district red in 2024, ousting a Democratic incumbent. Brooks is the president of the state’s Professional Fire Fighters Association.

U.S. House, Michigan’s 7th District  
Rep. Tom Barrett (R) vs. William Lawrence (D, not pictured)
Incumbent Barrett faces Democratic challenger William Lawrence. Candidates from the Green Party and Working Class Party are also on the general election ballot. Barrett won the seat in 2024 after Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin vacated it to run for Senate.

U.S. House, Virginia’s 2nd District 
Rep. Jen Kiggans (R) vs. Elaine Luria (D)
Virginia Democrats attempted to redraw the state’s 2nd Congressional District, but they were blocked by a court. Still, Democrats are hopeful to win the seat back from Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans with their candidate, former Rep. Elaine Luria, who served the district from 2019-2023 and lost to Kiggans in 2022. 

U.S. House, Florida’s 25th District 
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D) vs. Scott Singer (R, not pictured)
Moskowitzcurrently represents the state’s 23rd District, but after a court-ordered redistricting shuffle, he is running to stay in Congress with the state’s 25th District. Republicans hope their redistricting edge will give their candidate, attorney Scott Singer, a win and a new Republican seat in the House. 

U.S. House, Texas’ 34th District  
Eric Flores (R) vs. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D)
After a redistricting shuffle in Texas, Republicans bet that Flores, the former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, can secure a new GOP seat and oust incumbent Gonzalez. After 2024 gains with Hispanic voters in the region, Republicans view the district as a pickup opportunity. 

U.S. House, North Carolina’s 1st District  
Rep. Don Davis (D) vs. Laurie Buckhout (R)
Davis’ district in North Carolina was redrawn into a more Republican-leaning district, making him a vulnerable Democratic incumbent, and Republican candidate, former Army Col. Buckhout, hopes to win his seat.