Politics
Democrats control only 47 seats, compared with 53 for Republicans, and they also have to defend vulnerable seats of their own.
Democrats hoping to regain control of the Senate in this year’s midterm elections face a tough task: They must flip four seats controlled by Republicans, on a map that offers few obvious opportunities.
Midterm elections are traditionally an uphill battle for the party in the White House, and some of President Donald Trump’s unpopular policies could hinder his party’s efforts to maintain a majority in the Senate and continue advancing his agenda. But Democrats control only 47 seats, compared with 53 for Republicans, and they also have to defend vulnerable seats of their own.
Still, Democrats in recent months have had a streak of good luck, recruiting top-tier candidates in some of the most important races.
Here’s a look at the top Senate races to watch in 2026.
Key open seats and vulnerable incumbents
Maine: Sen. Susan Collins, the fifth-term lawmaker from Maine, is a top target of Democrats. She is the only Republican senator who represents a state won by former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024, but she has cultivated a reputation as a moderate pragmatist and has proved extremely tough to oust.
Gov. Janet Mills, the popular and term-limited Democratic governor, jumped into the race in October and appears to be the pick of much of the party establishment. Mills would be a formidable challenger to Collins, but she has a primary to get through first.
And Mills, who would be 79 by the time she was…