Democrats could actually retake the Senate.

[cdarwin@c.im]

Democrats could actually retake the Senate. Here are the races to watch.

To gain control of the Senate, Democrats must defend all their current seats on the ballot and flip at least four red states
— all of which Trump has won three times.

The map still favors Republicans, but Trump’s declining popularity
--- particularly on the economy
--- makes Democrats’ once long-shot bid to retake the Senate more feasible

Republicans plan to fight hard for their incumbents and seek to flip Democratic seats as well, even as Democrats post impressive fundraising hauls.

Here are the 11 states that Cook Political Report says will determine Senate control.

Democrats’ best pickup opportunities: North Carolina, Maine, Ohio

Each of these states has an electorate that Democratic strategists view as likely to break their way in 2026.

️In #Maine, five-term incumbent Sen. Susan Collins holds the distinction of being the lone Senate Republican representing a state that voted for Kamala Harris in 2024.

Strategists in both parties widely view Maine as a toss-up. In June,
Maine Democrats will face an ideological and generational choice between
Gov. Janet Mills,
78 years old and the state’s first female governor, and her more antiestablishment rival,
Graham Platner, a 41-year-old oyster farmer and military veteran.
Platner has faced scrutiny for old online posts and a chest tattoo that he had altered after public controversy over whether it was antisemitic.

️Democrats have recruited well-known former politicians in Ohio and North Carolina who have repeatedly won statewide.

️Former senator Sherrod Brown (D) is running in #Ohio to oust freshman incumbent Sen. Jon Husted (R), who was appointed when JD Vance took office as vice president.

️In #North #Carolina, former governor Roy Cooper (D) will face Michael Whatley, a former Republican National Committee chair endorsed by Trump,
in what’s expected to be one of the most expensive Senate races in the country.

There is no incumbent in the race as Sen. Thom Tillis (R) is retiring.

Republicans’ best pickup opportunity: Michigan

#Michigan has its second open Senate race in two years, and Republicans see their narrow loss in a 2024 Senate race there as a road map to victory in the swing state this time.

Incumbent Sen. Gary Peters (D) is retiring. It’s one of two Democratic-held Senate seats on the ballot this fall in states where Trump won in 2024. (The other is in #Georgia.)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/04/25/senate-trump-democrats-polling-economy/