Senate election updates as first polls begin to close

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November 3, 2026 / 6:00 PM EST / CBS News

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What to know about the 2026 Senate races:

• There are 35 Senate seats up for election in the midterms on Tuesday. 
• Republicans are defending a 53-47 majority in the Senate, with a map that initially appeared favorable to the GOP before stubborn affordability issues and the unpopular war with Iran put several states in play for Democrats. If Democrats net four seats, they will take the majority.
• Maine Republican Susan Collins is fighting for reelection in a state Kamala Harris won in 2024. And in at least five other states, Republicans are in tight races to hold onto GOP control. Democrats are fighting to keep a seat in Georgia, where President Trump won in 2024, while in three other states, they're defending seats following retirements.
• GOP control of both the Senate and the House has eased the way for President Trump's agenda in the first two years of his term. Tuesday's elections will determine whether that continues.

  Updated 3m ago

What's at stake in Senate elections

In the midterm elections, the party in the White House often suffers losses, and that, along with the GOP's current standing with voters, has thrown a map that seemed pretty favorable to Republicans into question.

Democrats have pickup opportunities in some states that will determine control of the upper chamber: North Carolina, Ohio, Maine, Alaska, Kansas, Iowa and Texas. But at the same time, they're on the defensive in some states, too, like Michigan. 

Democrats last won control of the Senate in 2022, maintaining a narrow majority throughout the Biden administration. Control of the upper chamber has major implications for the White House and its policy priorities and nominations, as Mr. Trump eyes the final two years of his presidency.

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• Voting
• Election