Here are the key 2026 House and Senate races to watch that could decide control of Congress
With margins tight in both chambers, control of Congress in 2026 is expected to hinge on a small group of competitive Senate contests and House districts sensitive to national trends....
By Fox News · Fox News
With margins tight in both chambers, control of Congress in 2026 is expected to hinge on a small group of competitive Senate contests and House districts sensitive to national trends. As America plunges into a new year, here are the races that are most likely to define the midterm races. Senate Republicans are looking to maintain their razor-thin majority after flipping the upper chamber in 2024. There are 33 seats in-cycle in the forthcoming midterms, which often act as a check on an incumbent president's performance. The GOP is hoping to replicate the Election Day successes that helped preserve its majority at the midpoint of President Donald Trump's first term, entering 2026 with what many analysts consider a favorable map. Why it matters: Georgia is the top prize of Senate Republicans and their campaign arm, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). Incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff , D-Ga., is vulnerable in his first attempt at re-election to the Senate, and will be met with the full weight of the NRSC's campaign war chest. SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN CHAIR REVEALS HOW MANY SEATS HE'S AIMING FOR IN 2026 What to watch: Before the general election, Republicans will first have to let the dust settle on a bloody, four-way primary fight among Reps. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., Mike Collins, R-Ga., former University of Tennessee head football coach Derek Dooley and horse trainer Reagan Box. Republicans' prized candidate, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, opted not to enter the contest, leaving a wide open playing field for the GOP to fight over. Why it matters: In the heat of the Senate advancing Trump's "big, beautiful bill," Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., announced his retirement . What would likely have been a gimme race for the GOP has now turned into a wide open contest for an open seat. SOCIALIST WINS PILE UP AFTER GOP’S BRUTAL 2025 OFF-YEAR ELECTION LOSSES What to watch: Democrats believe they can flip the seat for the first time since 2008, and hope that former North Carolina G…