Democrats Lead in Several Key Senate Races as 2026 Midterms Approach

Democratic candidates are leading several Republican opponents in competitive US Senate races, according to recent polls, signaling a potentially challenging midterm election for Republicans, Sara Dorn reported for Forbes.

Democratic Senate candidates have recorded leads in several key state polls ahead of the November 2026 US midterm elections. [Photo: Abdul El-Sayed Facebook]

In Texas, Democratic state Representative James Talarico leads Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton by 51% to 49% in a CBS News poll.

In Ohio, former Democratic senator Sherrod Brown leads incumbent Republican Senator Jon Husted by 48% to 42% in the latest Bowling Green State University/YouGov poll.

Democrat Josh Turek leads Republican Representative Ashley Hinson by 48% to 45% in Iowa, according to a Marist poll updated on October 15.

In Minnesota, Democratic Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan leads Republican candidate Michele Tafoya by 45% to 42%, according to a KSTP/SurveyUSA poll updated on October 15.

Maine's Senate race is also closely contested.

Democratic candidate Troy Jackson leads incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins by 49% to 47% in a Suffolk University poll updated on October 14.

In North Carolina, Democratic Lieutenant Governor Roy Cooper leads former Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley by 54% to 40%.

The Cook Political Report has upgraded the race from “Lean Democrat” to “Likely Democrat,” reflecting Cooper's stronger position in recent assessments.

In New Hampshire, Democratic Representative Chris Pappas leads former Republican senator John Sununu by 51% to 44%, according to a St. Anselm College poll.

Kansas remains competitive. Republican Senator Roger Marshall leads Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton by 47% to 46% in a New York Times/Siena poll conducted in October.

In Alaska, Democratic former Representative Mary Peltola leads Republican Senator Dan Sullivan by 50% to 43% among voters aged 50 and older, according to the poll cited in the report.

The result applies to that age group and should not be interpreted as a statewide result among all voters.

Michigan's Senate race is nearly tied, with Democrat Abdul El-Sayed leading Republican Representative Mike Rogers by 50% to 49% in a Fox News poll.

In Florida, Democratic state Representative Angie Nixon and Republican Senator Ashley Moody are tied at 45% each, with 7% undecided, according to a September 18 survey by St. Pete Polls and FloridaPolitics.com.

The polling results suggest Democrats are competitive across a broad range of states, including some that have traditionally favored Republicans.

However, individual surveys differ in methodology, sample size, field dates and likely-voter assumptions.

Polls are snapshots of voter preferences, not forecasts of final results. The races could shift as campaigns intensify, candidates spend more on advertising and voters respond to economic and national political developments.