The battle for the Senate takes shape, with both parties waiting on governors to boost their chances

The fight for the Senate in 2026 is beginning to take shape, with more candidates launching campaigns in recent days and additional announcements expected in the coming weeks.

The fight for the Senate in 2026 is beginning to take shape, with more candidates launching campaigns in recent days and additional announcements expected in the coming weeks. But both parties are still waiting to see if they can convince a governor to try to flip one of their top targeted states next year.

Democrats will have to reach into GOP territory to net the four seats they need to flip the chamber, while also defending competitive seats they currently hold in Georgia, Michigan and elsewhere. Republicans, meanwhile, are looking to grow their 53-47 majority in next year’s elections while defending blue-leaning Maine, battleground North Carolina and some redder states.

It’s no surprise that both parties are eyeing governors as top recruits, since they have proved they can win statewide races and come with strong personal brands and fundraising bases — though, as some recent governors have learned, past wins do not always translate to Senate victories.

Republicans’ top target is Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, the only Democratic senator running for re-election in a state President Donald Trump won in November. (Democrats are also defending a Senate seat in Michigan, now an open-seat contest with Sen. Gary Peters retiring.)

While the GOP is eager to take on Ossoff, the party’s field has been frozen while Gov. Brian Kemp weighs whether to jump into the race. Kemp, who is barred by term limits from running for governor again in 2026, has not made a decision on a Senate run and has just started the process of evaluating a potential campaign now that the state legislative session has concluded, according to a source familiar with his thinking.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/battle-senate-takes-shape-both-parties-waiting-governors-boost-chances-rcna200618


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Updated: 1 month ago
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