What Democratic senators are running in 2026 in competitive states
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Executive summary
A small group of incumbent Democratic senators is defending seats in states widely rated as competitive for 2026, the clearest example being Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia, who is seeking re-election in a state that Trump carried in 2024 and is repeatedly flagged as vulnerable for Democrats [1] [2]. Beyond Ossoff, Democrats face contested terrain where incumbents are retiring (Michigan’s Gary Peters) or where high-profile Democratic candidates — not always sitting senators — are running or being recruited for competitive races [3] [1] [4].
1. Incumbent Democrat to watch: Jon Ossoff in Georgia
Georgia’s Sen. Jon Ossoff is the clearest incumbent Democratic senator running in a competitive state in 2026; multiple forecasters and outlets list his seat as among the handful of true battlegrounds because Georgia voted for Trump in 2024 and Ossoff won narrowly six years ago, making his re‑election a top Democratic defensive task [1] [5] [2].
2. Michigan: a competitive Democratic seat without an incumbent
Michigan is widely identified as a high‑stakes target that Democrats must hold, but it differs from Georgia because incumbent Sen. Gary Peters is not running for re‑election, turning the contest into an open and therefore inherently more volatile race rather than an incumbent Democrat’s re‑election bid [3] [1] [6].
3. Other Democratic-run contests in competitive states — candidates but not incumbent senators
Several high‑profile Democratic figures are running in competitive states though they are not incumbent senators: former Senator Sherrod Brown has been reported as mounting a Democratic bid in Ohio against appointed Sen. Jon Husted, and former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has been recruited to run in that swing state after the retirement of Sen. Thom Tillis [7] [4]. These are important Democratic efforts in competitive states but are campaigns by challengers or recruits, not incumbent Democratic senators [7] [4].
4. Alaska, Maine and other “could be” battlegrounds — possibilities, not confirmed incumbents
Analysts name Alaska, Maine and a handful of other states as potential pickup opportunities where Democrats might run strong challengers: The New York Times flagged a possible Mary Peltola candidacy in Alaska, while Maine’s open or vulnerable contests (including long‑time GOP Sen. Susan Collins) are repeatedly mentioned as competitive [4] [3]. Those mentions concern potential Democratic nominees or vulnerable Republican incumbents rather than sitting Democratic senators defending seats [4] [3].
5. The broader picture: Democrats defending four competitive seats and the limits of reporting
Nonpartisan analysts and outlets consistently say Democrats are defending roughly four competitive seats in 2026 and must net four pickups to regain control, underscoring that the party’s vulnerability is concentrated rather than widespread — the reporting, including Reuters and Cook/aggregators, stresses that only a handful of Democratic‑held seats are truly in play [2] [8]. Sources do not provide a comprehensive roll call of every declared Democratic candidate across every state; reporting focuses on the highest‑profile incumbents (Ossoff), notable retirements (Peters) and high‑visibility recruits (Cooper, Brown), so any catalogue here reflects those emphases rather than a definitive, exhaustive list [1] [7].
6. Stakes and strategic implications
The map favours Republicans overall — analysts note Republicans are defending far fewer competitive seats — which means Democrats’ path hinges on holding the few vulnerable incumbents (notably Ossoff in Georgia) and winning open or GOP seats in states like Michigan and Maine with strong recruits or favorable national headwinds [3] [2] [9]. Reporting also shows the Democratic bench is mixing veteran ex‑senators, governors and House members into these fights, signalling party strategy focused on top recruits where incumbents are not running [4] [7].