Senate Elections 

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Latest news on US Senate Elections, covering Senate election results, midterms, Senate races, candidates, nominees, hopefuls, primaries, polls, polling, debates, endorsements, rallies, electoral maps, battleground states, swing states, toss-up seats, runoffs, recounts, ballots, voters, the electorate, campaigns, reelection bids, senators-elect and the fight for control of the Senate.

The US Senate has 100 members, and each state elects two senators to serve six-year terms, with roughly a third of seats contested every two years. Control of the chamber shapes legislation, federal judicial appointments, cabinet confirmations and treaties. In the midterm elections of 3 November 2026, Democrats won the Senate majority, flipping Republican-held Senate seats in states including Texas, Ohio and North Carolina.

Close contests can take days or weeks to settle. Counting absentee and affidavit ballots, recount rules, certification deadlines and legal challenges all play a part, and runoffs follow in states such as Georgia. Alaska uses ranked-choice voting, while some states have no automatic recount at all. Debate also surrounds campaign spending by super PACs, the accuracy of polling, including each new poll, and public trust in election administration.

Senate elections are also human stories. Candidates range from veteran incumbents seeking reelection to first-time challengers and party nominees hoping to be elected. Campaigns rely on volunteers, local organisers and voters who take part in electing a senator through early voting, mail ballots and election day. Rallies, debates and endorsements shape the mood, while cost of living, healthcare, immigration, abortion, trade and the economy regularly dominate the argument in battleground states.

Senators were chosen by state legislatures until the Seventeenth Amendment let voters elect them directly in 1913. Because terms are staggered, the Senate map changes with every cycle, and the president's party has often lost ground in midterms. Republicans took control of the chamber after the 2024 elections, and the 2026 result shows how quickly the balance can shift.

After the votes are counted, senators-elect prepare to join the new Congress. Attention turns to Senate leadership elections within each party, committee chairs and the confirmation fights that follow a change of majority. Early manoeuvring for the next cycle begins quickly, with hopefuls announcing campaigns and primary challenges, and special elections can arise whenever a seat falls vacant. The next regular Senate elections follow in November 2028.

The NewsNow US Senate Elections feed collects the latest headlines on results, races, candidates, polls, recounts and campaigns from reliable sources, so you can follow the contest for the Senate as it unfolds.