Democrats flipped seven Senate seats in 2026 (North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, South Carolina, Kansas, Iowa and Maine) and hold 54 seats to the GOP’s 44 in NBC News projections, with Alaska and Mississippi still uncalled on November 5, 2026. The US Senate election results by state show Democrat James Talarico winning Texas by 55.2% to 42.9%, and the two open races could lift the Democratic total to as many as 56 seats.
US Senate Election Results by State 2026 – Introduction
US Senate Election Results by State in 2026 describe the biggest shift in the chamber in years. Voters in 35 races went to the polls on November 3, 2026. Republicans held 53 seats going in. Democrats held 47, counting 2 independents who caucus with them, and needed a net gain of 4 for control. They won 7 flips, and several came in states that backed Donald Trump in 2024.
This report lists the winners, the seat flips, the vote margins and the party breakdown as of November 5, 2026. Two races remain open. Mississippi sits within about 1,100 votes, and Alaska sits within 637 votes with ranked-choice tabulation still ahead. State counts stay unofficial until each state certifies its results, so final percentages can move.
Interesting Facts About the 2026 US Senate Elections
| Fact | 2026 Data |
|---|---|
| Election day | November 3, 2026 |
| Seats on the ballot | 35 |
| Senate split before the vote | 53 Republicans, 47 Democrats (including 2 independents) |
| Net gain Democrats needed | 4 seats |
| Democratic flips called | 7 |
| Republican flips called | 0 |
| Seats called for Democrats | 54 |
| Seats called for Republicans | 44 |
| Uncalled races | Alaska and Mississippi |
| Possible Democratic ceiling | 56 seats |
| Largest flip margin | North Carolina, 19.6 points |
| Texas Democratic Senate win | First since 1988 |
| Outside spending on Texas Republicans | About 224 million dollars from Elon Musk |
Source: NBC News Decision Desk, Associated Press, CBS News and CNBC election coverage, November 3-5, 2026.
The table shows how large the swing was. Republicans needed to hold the line and ended with 0 called pickups. Democrats needed 4 net seats and took 7. NBC News projected 54 Democratic seats against 44 Republican seats, and 51 is the number needed for a majority. The 35 seats on the ballot included special elections in Ohio and Florida, among them Ohio, where Sherrod Brown won the seat Vice President JD Vance once held.
Two open races decide the final size of the majority. Democrat Mary Peltola leads in Alaska and Democrat Scott Colom leads in Mississippi, and a win in both would give Democrats 56 seats. Texas elected a Democratic senator for the first time since 1988, and CNBC reported that Musk’s roughly 224 million dollars on Texas Republicans did not stop it. North Carolina produced the widest flip, with Roy Cooper ahead by 19.6 points.
US Senate Seat Flips 2026: Which States Changed Parties
Democratic winning margin in the seven flipped seats (points)
North Carolina | ████████████████████ 19.6
Texas | ████████████ 12.3
Maine | ████████ 7.7
Ohio | █████ 4.8
Kansas | █████ 4.8
South Carolina | ████ 4.4
Iowa | ████ 4.1
| State | Democratic Winner | Defeated Republican | Dem % | GOP % | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | Roy Cooper | Michael Whatley | 58.7 | 39.1 | D+19.6 |
| Texas | James Talarico | Ken Paxton | 55.2 | 42.9 | D+12.3 |
| Maine | Troy Jackson | Susan Collins (incumbent) | 53.8 | 46.1 | D+7.7 |
| Ohio (special) | Sherrod Brown | Jon Husted (incumbent) | 50.0 | 45.2 | D+4.8 |
| Kansas | Adam Hamilton | Roger Marshall (incumbent) | 50.9 | 46.1 | D+4.8 |
| South Carolina | Annie Andrews | Darline Graham (incumbent) | 51.1 | 46.7 | D+4.4 |
| Iowa | Josh Turek | Ashley Hinson | 50.5 | 46.4 | D+4.1 |
Source: NBC News Decision Desk results, with race calls from the Associated Press and CBS News, November 4-5, 2026. Maine reflects about 86% of the expected vote.
The seven flips decided control. Four of the defeated Republicans were sitting senators: Collins in Maine, Husted in Ohio, Marshall in Kansas and Graham in South Carolina. Graham was appointed to the seat after the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham. Cooper won an open North Carolina seat with 58.7%, the first Democratic Senate win in that state since 2008. Talarico took Texas with 55.2%. Brown won back the Ohio seat he lost in 2024, taking 50.0% to Husted’s 45.2%.
The narrow flips came in Iowa, South Carolina, Kansas and Ohio, all inside 5 points. Turek beat Hinson by 4.1 points. Andrews won South Carolina by 4.4, the first Democratic Senate win there since 1998. Hamilton won Kansas by 4.8. Jackson beat Collins in Maine by 7.7 points after replacing Graham Platner as the Democratic nominee in July, and Collins conceded.
2026 US Senate Vote Margins: Biggest Wins by State
Winning margin in called races with at least 97% counted (points)
Rhode Island (Reed, D) | █████████████████████████████████████ 37.1
New Mexico (Luján, D) | ██████████████████████████ 26.4
North Carolina (Cooper, D) | ████████████████████ 19.6
Georgia (Ossoff, D) | ██████████████████ 18.0
Texas (Talarico, D) | ████████████ 12.3
Scale: 1 block = 1.0 point
| State | Winner | Winner % | Runner-up % | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | Jack Reed (D) | 66.6 | 29.5 | 37.1 |
| New Mexico | Ben Ray Luján (D) | 63.2 | 36.8 | 26.4 |
| North Carolina | Roy Cooper (D) | 58.7 | 39.1 | 19.6 |
| Georgia | Jon Ossoff (D) | 59 | 41 | 18.0 |
| Texas | James Talarico (D) | 55.2 | 42.9 | 12.3 |
Source: NBC News Decision Desk and Electoral-Vote.com tallies, November 3-5, 2026. Georgia reflects a rounded count at 95% reporting.
Safe Democratic seats produced the largest margins. Reed won Rhode Island by 37.1 points and Luján took New Mexico by 26.4 points. Those two seats were never in play, so the gap says little about the national mood. The competitive results matter more. Georgia, North Carolina and Texas show where the party gained ground against expectations, while Rhode Island and New Mexico show where it simply kept what it already held.
Ossoff held Georgia, a state Trump carried in 2024, with roughly 59% at 95% reporting. That makes the Georgia margin of about 18 points the widest Democratic hold in a state the party had to defend. Cooper’s 19.6-point win and Talarico’s 12.3-point win were the two widest flips. A Democrat winning Texas by more than 12 points is the number most analysts will quote from this cycle.
2026 Senate Party Breakdown: Seats Before and After the Vote
Senate seats by party, before and called after (1 block = 2 seats)
Democrats before | ████████████████████████ 47
Democrats called | ███████████████████████████ 54
Republicans before | ██████████████████████████ 53
Republicans called | ██████████████████████ 44
Uncalled (AK, MS) | █ 2
| Party | Seats Before | Net Change | Called After | Possible Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 47 | +7 | 54 | 54 to 56 |
| Republicans | 53 | -7 | 44 | 44 to 46 |
| Seats needed for majority | 51 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Uncalled races | n/a | n/a | 2 | Alaska, Mississippi |
Source: NBC News projections based on Associated Press race calls, November 5, 2026.
Democrats gained 7 seats and Republicans lost 7. That moves the chamber from 47-53 to 54-44 with 2 races uncalled. A majority needs 51 seats, so Democrats sit 3 seats above the line. NBC News, CBS News and the Associated Press all reported that Democrats have secured control, and the open races cannot change that.
The two open seats set the final margin. A Democratic sweep of Alaska and Mississippi would produce a 56-44 Senate. A Republican hold in both would leave it at 54-46. Each seat would be a notable result either way, because Trump carried Alaska in each of his three campaigns and carried Mississippi by more than 20 points in 2024.
2026 US Senate Raw Vote Totals in Five Flipped States
Democratic vote lead in raw votes (thousands)
Texas | ████████████████████████████████████████████████ 1,204.4
South Carolina | ████ 91.2
Iowa | ██ 55.9
Kansas | ██ 53.2
Maine | ██ 49.0
| State | Democratic Votes | Republican Votes | Vote Lead | Counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 5,388,840 | 4,184,417 | 1,204,423 | 96.95% |
| South Carolina | 1,042,362 | 951,165 | 91,197 | 99% |
| Iowa | 686,487 | 630,615 | 55,872 | 98.1% |
| Kansas | 556,414 | 503,230 | 53,184 | 98.5% |
| Maine | 342,661 | 293,629 | 49,032 | 86% |
Source: Fox News Decision Desk results, November 4, 2026. Counts are unofficial until state certification.
Texas dwarfs the rest. Talarico led by 1,204,423 votes with 96.95% counted, about 22 times the lead in Iowa. His total of 5,388,840 votes is the largest in the table by a wide margin, and the count was still open when the data was pulled, so the lead can still grow.
The other four leads are small in raw terms. Andrews led by 91,197 votes in South Carolina. Turek led by 55,872 in Iowa, Hamilton by 53,184 in Kansas and Jackson by 49,032 in Maine. Maine had only 86% counted, so that figure will grow. A lead near 50,000 votes sits far outside the range where recounts usually change outcomes.
2026 Senate Polls vs Results: How Far Off Were the Final Averages?
Democratic overperformance versus RealClearPolitics averages (points)
Texas | ██████████ 10.1
South Carolina | ███████ 7.0
Maine | ██████ 6.1
Iowa | ████ 4.2
Kansas | █ 0.7
| State | Final Poll Margin | Result Margin | Democratic Overperformance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | D+2.2 | D+12.3 | 10.1 |
| South Carolina | R+2.6 | D+4.4 | 7.0 |
| Maine | D+1.6 | D+7.7 | 6.1 |
| Iowa | R+0.1 | D+4.1 | 4.2 |
| Kansas | D+4.1 | D+4.8 | 0.7 |
Source: RealClearPolitics final averages as reported by News10, compared with NBC News Decision Desk results, November 4-5, 2026.
Polls missed in the same direction in all five states. Texas showed the biggest gap. The final average had Talarico ahead by 2.2 points and he won by 12.3. South Carolina flipped the sign of the poll, from R+2.6 to D+4.4. Maine and Iowa also moved toward Democrats by 6.1 and 4.2 points.
Kansas was the exception. The average had Hamilton at 50.1% and Marshall at 46%, and the result was 50.9% to 46.1%. That is a miss of just 0.7 points. In the other four states the average understated the Democratic margin by 4 to 10 points. Prediction markets also got Kansas right while giving Republicans a 67.5% chance in South Carolina and a 59% chance in Iowa. Both of those calls were wrong.
2026 US Senate Winners by State: Democratic and Republican Holds
Confirmed holds in the 33 called races that did not flip, by party
Democratic holds | █████████████ 13
Republican holds | █████████████ 13
| State | Winner | Party | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | Abdul El-Sayed | Democrat | Hold |
| Georgia | Jon Ossoff | Democrat | Hold |
| New Hampshire | Chris Pappas | Democrat | Hold |
| Minnesota | Peggy Flanagan | Democrat | Hold |
| Illinois | Juliana Stratton | Democrat | Hold |
| New Mexico | Ben Ray Luján | Democrat | Hold |
| Virginia | Mark Warner | Democrat | Hold |
| Colorado | John Hickenlooper | Democrat | Hold |
| Massachusetts | Ed Markey | Democrat | Hold |
| Rhode Island | Jack Reed | Democrat | Hold |
| New Jersey | Cory Booker | Democrat | Hold |
| Delaware | Chris Coons | Democrat | Hold |
| Oregon | Jeff Merkley | Democrat | Hold |
| Alabama | Barry Moore | Republican | Hold |
| Arkansas | Tom Cotton | Republican | Hold |
| Florida | Ashley Moody | Republican | Hold |
| Idaho | Jim Risch | Republican | Hold |
| Kentucky | Andy Barr | Republican | Hold |
| Louisiana | Julia Letlow | Republican | Hold |
| Montana | Kurt Alme | Republican | Hold |
| Nebraska | Pete Ricketts | Republican | Hold |
| Oklahoma | Kevin Hern | Republican | Hold |
| South Dakota | Mike Rounds | Republican | Hold |
| Tennessee | Bill Hagerty | Republican | Hold |
| West Virginia | Shelley Moore Capito | Republican | Hold |
| Wyoming | Harriet Hageman | Republican | Hold |
Source: CBS News race projections, NBC News Decision Desk and Associated Press calls, November 3-5, 2026.
Democrats held all 13 of the seats they defended. Four were open or competitive: Michigan, Georgia, New Hampshire and Minnesota. El-Sayed won Michigan with 52.5% to Mike Rogers’ 45.5%, Ossoff won Georgia and Pappas won New Hampshire. Flanagan won Minnesota and Stratton won Illinois. Those wins stopped Republicans from offsetting any of their seven losses.
Republicans held 13 seats. Ricketts won Nebraska despite a challenge from independent Dan Osborn, in a state Trump carried by more than 20 points in 2024. Open-seat winners included Barr in Kentucky, Hern in Oklahoma, Alme in Montana and Hageman in Wyoming, and Moody held Florida in a special election. These 26 holds, the 7 flips and the 2 uncalled races add up to all 35 contests on the ballot.
Alaska Senate Race 2026: Peltola vs Sullivan Count Update
Alaska Senate first-choice votes, unofficial Division of Elections count
Mary Peltola (D) | ██████████████████████████████████████████████ 102,962
Dan Sullivan (R) | ██████████████████████████████████████████████ 102,325
Gerald Heikes (R) | ██ 4,846
Daniel Sullivan (R) | ██ 3,600
| Candidate | Votes | Share | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Peltola (D) | 102,962 | 48.2% | Leads by 637 votes |
| Sen. Dan Sullivan (R) | 102,325 | 47.9% | Trails by 637 votes |
| Gerald Heikes (R) | 4,846 | 2.3% | Would be eliminated first |
| Daniel Sullivan (R) | 3,600 | 1.7% | Would be eliminated first |
| Race status | n/a | n/a | Uncalled; ranked-choice count Nov. 18; certification target Nov. 25 |
Source: Alaska Division of Elections unofficial results as reported by NBC News, Alaska Public Media, Alaska Beacon and Newsweek, November 4-5, 2026.
Alaska is the closest race still open that can change the size of the majority. Sullivan led early on election night, then Peltola took the lead by about 600 votes as more ballots came in. Reports cite either 626 or 637 votes for the margin, and the count was roughly 75% complete. Nobody has crossed 50%, so the race goes to ranked-choice tabulation on November 18, and state officials aim to certify by November 25.
Remaining ballots lean toward Peltola by type. Early in-person and mail ballots split about 57 to 41 for Peltola, while Election Day votes split 45 to 50 for Sullivan. Officials said about 20,000 early votes and as many as 40,000 absentee ballots remained. An Alaska Beacon analysis found that ranked-choice redistribution could favor Sullivan by a few hundred votes. The state plans updates on November 10, 13 and 18. A Peltola win would make her Alaska’s first Democratic senator since 2008 and the first Alaska Native in the Senate.
Mississippi Senate Race 2026: Colom vs Hyde-Smith Too Close to Call
Mississippi Senate vote count, unofficial (thousands)
Scott Colom (D) | ████████████████████████████████████████████████ 464.9
Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) | ████████████████████████████████████████████████ 463.8
| Candidate | Votes | Share | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Colom (D) | 464,926 | 49.0% | Leads by about 1,138 votes |
| Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) | 463,788 | 48.9% | Trails by about 1,138 votes |
| Race status | n/a | n/a | Uncalled; no formal recount process |
Source: ABC News and CBS News results, with NBC News projections, November 4-5, 2026.
Mississippi is the biggest surprise on the map. Trump won the state with 61% in 2024, and Hyde-Smith won her 2020 race with 54%. Colom, a district attorney, led by only 28 votes, then 43, then 65 as the count moved past 95%. The latest tally in the table shows a lead of about 1,138 votes. Democrats have not elected a senator from Mississippi since 1982, and a Colom win would be the party’s reddest pickup of the night.
The count is not finished. Both campaigns say thousands of ballots remain, and Colom’s team has cited up to 15,000 affidavit ballots. Mississippi’s Secretary of State told ABC News the state has no formal recount process, so candidates cannot request one and none is triggered automatically. Colom has said he is prepared to litigate. Democrats already hold the majority without this seat.
Frequently Asked Questions About US Senate Election Results by State 2026
Who won the US Senate election in 2026?
Democrats won control of the Senate. They flipped 7 Republican-held seats and hold 54 seats to the GOP’s 44 in NBC News projections, with 2 races uncalled.
Which party controls the Senate after the 2026 election?
Democrats control the chamber, according to NBC News, CBS News and Associated Press coverage. They held 47 seats before the vote and need 51 for a majority.
How many Senate seats did Democrats flip in 2026?
Democrats flipped 7 seats: North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, South Carolina, Kansas, Iowa and Maine. Republicans had 0 called flips.
How many seats could Democrats end up with?
As many as 56. Alaska and Mississippi are still uncalled, and Democrats lead both in the unofficial counts.
Who won the Texas Senate race in 2026?
James Talarico won Texas with about 55.2% to Ken Paxton’s 42.9%. It is the first Democratic Senate win in Texas since 1988.
Who won the North Carolina Senate race in 2026?
Roy Cooper beat Michael Whatley with 58.7% to 39.1%. That is the largest margin among the seven flips.
Did Susan Collins lose her Maine Senate seat in 2026?
Yes. Troy Jackson won Maine with about 53.8% to Collins’ 46.1%, and Collins conceded.
Who won the Ohio Senate special election in 2026?
Sherrod Brown defeated Sen. Jon Husted with 50.0% to 45.2% in the special election for the seat Vice President JD Vance once held.
Is the Alaska Senate race decided in 2026?
No. As of November 5, 2026, Mary Peltola led Sen. Dan Sullivan by 637 votes. Ranked-choice tabulation is set for November 18, with certification targeted for November 25.
Is the Mississippi Senate race decided in 2026?
No. Democrat Scott Colom led Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith by about 1,138 votes in the latest unofficial tally, and thousands of ballots remain. Mississippi has no formal recount process.
Which US Senate race had the biggest margin in 2026?
Rhode Island, where Jack Reed won with 66.6% to 29.5%, a margin of 37.1 points. North Carolina had the biggest margin among flips.
How many Senate seats were up for election in 2026?
35 seats were on the ballot on November 3, 2026, including special elections in Ohio and Florida.
Which states did Republicans hold in the 2026 US Senate elections?
Republicans held 13 seats: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Did Georgia stay Democratic in the 2026 Senate election?
Yes. Jon Ossoff won reelection with about 59% of the vote at 95% reporting, a margin near 18 points in a state Trump won in 2024.
How close was the 2026 Iowa Senate race?
Josh Turek beat Ashley Hinson with 50.5% to 46.4%, a margin of 4.1 points and 55,872 votes, with 98.1% counted.
When are 2026 Senate election results certified?
Each state sets its own certification deadline. Results in this report are unofficial until state election offices certify them. Alaska targets November 25.
Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.