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Which states have US Senate seats up for election in 2026?
Executive Summary
The core, consistent finding across the supplied analyses is that 35 U.S. Senate seats will be contested in 2026 — principally the Class 2 cycle of 33 regular seats plus two special elections (Florida and Ohio), and the states holding those Class 2 seats are identified in the materials (notably a named list that includes Alabama through Wyoming). Multiple analyses also flag a subset of competitive or battleground states such as Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, Alaska, Iowa, Texas, Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire and others, with Republicans defending a larger share of seats in the class and Democrats defending fewer, making the map consequential for control of the chamber [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. What the original claims say and how they line up with the evidence
The primary claim extracted from the analyses is that 35 Senate seats are up in 2026, composed of 33 regular Class 2 seats and two additional special elections in Florida and Ohio. This claim is explicitly stated in several of the supplied analyses and summaries, which repeatedly cite the same numeric breakdown (33 Class 2 + 2 specials) and enumerate the Class 2 states (a roster from Alabama to Wyoming). The datasets provided do not contradict the 35-seat total; instead they converge on it while offering differing degrees of state-level detail and emphasis on competitiveness. The sources vary in format and depth but collectively present the core factual frame: a standard Class 2 cycle plus two special contests changing the usual count to 35 [1] [2] [3].
2. The complete list of states named as having seats up in 2026
One supplied analysis provides a comprehensive list of states that hold Class 2 Senate seats up in 2026: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. That same source also explicitly notes special elections in Florida and Ohio, which raise the total to 35 seats rather than the usual 33 held by Class 2 in a full cycle. This roster is presented as factual within the provided material and serves as the most detailed state-level listing among the supplied analyses [1].
3. Who’s defending what and why it matters for control of the Senate
Analyses included in the collection emphasize the partisan stakes: the Class 2 cycle and the two special elections currently have a larger number of seats held by Republicans to defend (commonly cited as 22) versus Democrats (commonly cited as 13), creating a scenario where Republicans are defending more of the vulnerable map and Democrats need a net gain of several seats to change majority control. Multiple pieces highlight that Democrats could potentially retake the Senate by netting around four seats, with the special elections in Florida and Ohio potentially altering that arithmetic. These partisan tallies and the strategic importance of the 35-seat map appear consistently across the supplied analyses [2] [3] [5].
4. Where the competitive races are being flagged and why analysts focus on them
The provided materials single out a set of states repeatedly described as top battlegrounds for 2026 — Maine, North Carolina, Michigan, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Georgia, Texas, Iowa, Alaska and Ohio among them — based on incumbent vulnerability, recent voting patterns, and historical swing characteristics. Different analysts emphasize different subsets: some spotlight northern swing states where Democrats hold seats, others point to southern or Plains states where Republicans must defend seats, and still others highlight special-election dynamics in Florida and Ohio as wildcards. These emphases reflect editorial judgments about which seats are most susceptible to turnover and are cited across the analyses supplied [4] [6] [3].
5. Important caveats, methodological differences, and source signals to watch
The supplied materials are consistent on the 35-seat total and largely align on the state list, but they vary in presentation, depth, and datedness: some items include explicit publication dates (for example, one analysis dated May 9, 2025, and another dated January 16, 2025), while others lack dates. That variability matters for dynamic developments such as retirements, appointments, or newly called special elections that can alter the map. Readers should also note potential agendas: forecast or advocacy organizations may emphasize vulnerability for the other party to motivate donors or activists, while neutral trackers aim to catalog seats and present ratings. The core factual claims (35 seats, the Class 2 roster, and the Florida/Ohio specials) are consistent across the supplied material and remain the baseline for subsequent, date-sensitive updates [3] [7] [4].