5 pivotal 2026 Senate races will determine whether Republicans maintain governing trifecta under Trump
Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper faces former RNC Chair Michael Whatley in a blockbuster 2026 Senate race, while Sen. Jon Ossoff defends his seat.
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The balance of power in Washington, D.C., is up for grabs in 2026 as a handful of key Senate races will determine whether President Donald Trump and Republicans will maintain their governing trifecta.
In addition to their own competitiveness, many of these key Senate races may say more about the state of politics in 2026 — and the respective parties — beyond their individual results.
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Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., during the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on "Worldwide Threats," on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on March 25, 2025. (Maansi Srivastava for the Washington Post)
5 — Georgia
Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., faces a competitive Senate race in Georgia where Democrats will look to retain a seat in a state that went to President Donald Trump by 2.2% in 2024. Ossoff will have to defend his party’s role in the extended government shutdown that especially hurt Georgia’s airline-heavy economy.
During the 43-day stretch, Ossoff voted with Republicans to make partial provisions for federal workers but voted against the spending package that eventually ended the shutdown.
Ossoff won his last election in a 2021 runoff against Republican candidate David Perdue. He secured victory by just a 1.2% margin.
Nine Republicans have joined the bid to unseat Ossoff. Most notably, the challengers include Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., and Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga.
Republicans will hold their primary on May 19, 2026.
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The U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., is seen on Nov. 5, 2025. (Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
4 — Michigan
Before Michigan’s Senate race becomes a question of congressional power, it may first become a litmus test for what the Democratic label is becoming.
Five Democrats have joined the Senate race to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters, D-Minn. Peters last won election in 2020 by just 1.7% — just over 92,000 votes. The primary race has become a three-way contest between Abdul El-Sayed, a candidate pushing for healthcare for all and greater federal restrictions on what he sees as monopolistic forces in capitalism, and two more middle-of-the-road candidates: state Sen. Mallory McMorow and Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich.
