New Hampshire
An open seat in a small, expensive media market can turn into the defining race of the cycle. This is one of the clearest examples of how retirements can scramble the Senate battlefield.
Track New Hampshire on BallotpediaWhy It Matters
Why the 2026 Senate fight matters
Senate control affects cabinet confirmations, court appointments, investigations, and how much room the White House has to advance its agenda. Even one or two unexpected retirements can quickly change the national map.
Use this guide as a cleaner starting point, then click through to candidate-specific filings and research pages when you want the underlying record.
Battlegrounds
Top Senate races to watch
Georgia
Georgia remains one of the country’s most competitive statewide environments. Turnout patterns in metro Atlanta and the suburbs can determine whether this race stays red or flips back into true toss-up territory.
Track Georgia on BallotpediaMaine
Maine often resists national political patterns. Candidate quality and incumbency still matter here, so the race is worth following even when it gets less cable-news attention than Sun Belt contests.
Track Maine on BallotpediaMichigan and North Carolina
These states often sit near the center of the national Senate map because they combine expensive media markets, closely divided electorates, and enough ticket-splitting potential to surprise forecasters.
Michigan tracker · North Carolina trackerHow To Research
A cleaner Senate research workflow
Start with the race tracker
Use a broad tracker to confirm who is in, who is rumored, and whether the seat is open. That keeps you from chasing stale candidate lists.
2026 Senate trackerCheck issue positions
VoteSmart is useful when you want to see issue ratings, past votes, public positions, and the organizations trying to shape the race.
VoteSmartFollow money and influence
OpenSecrets helps make a race legible when campaign finance becomes the real story, especially in expensive Senate contests with heavy outside spending.
OpenSecrets