2026 United States elections

Last updated

2026 United States elections
2024          2025         2026         2027          2028
Midterm elections
Election dayNovember 3
Incumbent president TBD
Next Congress 120th
Senate elections
Seats contested33 of 100 seats
(33 seats of Class 2)
2026 United States Senate elections retirements map.svg
Map of the incumbents:
     Democratic incumbent
     Republican incumbent     Republican incumbent retiring
     No election
     Incumbent TBD
House elections
Seats contestedAll 435 voting seats
+5 of 6 non-voting seats
Gubernatorial elections
Seats contested39 (36 states, 3 territories)
2026 United States gubernatorial elections.svg
Map of the incumbents:
     Democratic incumbent     Term-limited Democrat
     Republican incumbent     Term-limited Republican
     No election

The 2026 United States elections are scheduled to be held, in large part, on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. During this U.S. midterm election, which will occur during the term of the president elected in the 2024 United States presidential election, all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and 33 of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate will be contested to determine the 120th United States Congress. 39 state and territorial U.S. gubernatorial elections, as well as numerous state and local elections, will also be contested.

Contents

Federal elections

Senate elections

All 33 seats in Senate Class 2 will be up for election; additional special elections may also take place to fill vacancies that arise during the 119th Congress.

House of Representatives elections

All 435 voting seats in the United States House of Representatives will be up for election; additionally, elections will be held to select the delegate for the District of Columbia as well as the delegates from 4 of the 5 U.S. territories, excluding Puerto Rico.

State elections

Elections will be held for the governorships of 36 U.S. states and three insular areas. As most governors serve four-year terms, the last regularly scheduled elections for most seats up for election in 2026 were held in 2022. The governors of New Hampshire and Vermont each serve two-year terms, so incumbents in these two states will be determined in 2024.

Local elections

Mayoral elections

A number of major cities will hold mayoral elections in 2026.

Eligible incumbents

Ineligible or retiring incumbents

Related Research Articles

The 100 seats in the United States Senate are divided into 3 classes to determine which seats will be up for election in any 2-year cycle, with only 1 class being up for election at a time. With senators being elected to fixed terms of 6 years, the classes allow about a third of the seats to be up for election in any presidential or midterm election year instead of having all 100 be up for election at the same time every six years. The seats are also divided in a way that any given state's 2 senators are in different classes so that each seat's term ends in different years. Class 1 and class 2 consist of 33 seats each, while class 3 consists of 34 seats. Elections for class 1 seats are scheduled to take place in 2024, class 2 in 2026, and the elections for class 3 seats in 2028.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1976 United States Senate elections</span>

The 1976 United States Senate elections was an election for the United States Senate. Held on November 2, the 33 seats of Class 1 were contested in regular elections. They coincided with Democrat Jimmy Carter's presidential election and the United States Bicentennial celebration. Although almost half of the seats decided in this election changed parties, Carter's narrow victory did not provide coattails for the Democratic Party. Each party flipped seven Senate seats, although, one of the seats flipped by Democrats was previously held by a Conservative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 United States House of Representatives elections</span> House elections for the 108th U.S. Congress

The 2002 United States House of Representatives elections were held on November 5, 2002, in the middle of President George W. Bush's first term, to elect U.S. Representatives to serve in the 108th United States Congress. This was the first congressional election using districts drawn up during the 2000 United States redistricting cycle on the basis of the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1990 United States House of Representatives elections</span> House elections for the 102nd U.S. Congress

The 1990 United States House of Representatives elections was an election for the United States House of Representatives on November 6, 1990, to elect members to serve in the 102nd United States Congress. They occurred in the middle of President George H. W. Bush's term. As in most midterm elections, the President's Republican Party lost seats to the Democratic Party, slightly increasing the Democratic majority in the chamber. It was a rare instance, however, in which both major parties lost votes to third parties such as the Libertarian Party as well as independent candidates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 United States elections</span> Democratic Wave Election

The 2008 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 4, 2008, during the war on terror and the onset of the Great Recession. It was considered a Democratic wave election, with Democratic Senator Barack Obama of Illinois defeating Senator John McCain of Arizona by a wide margin, and the Democrats bolstering their majorities in both chambers of Congress, thereby marking the first time since 1992 in which the Democrats won Congress and the presidency in one election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elections in Hawaii</span>

Elections in Hawaii are held for various local, state, and federal seats in the state of Hawaii. Regular elections are held every even year, although special elections may be held to fill vacancies at other points in time. The primary election is held on the second Saturday in August, while the general election is held on Election Day, which is the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 United States elections</span>

2009 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 3. During this off-year election, the only seats up for election in the United States Congress were special elections held throughout the year. In total, only the seat representing New York's 23rd congressional district changed party hands, increasing the Democratic Party's majority over the Republicans in the United States House of Representatives, 258–177.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 United States elections</span>

The 2011 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 8. This was an off-year election, in which the only seats up for election in the United States Congress were special elections. There were also four gubernatorial races, including a special election in West Virginia. There were also state legislative elections in four states and judicial elections in three states; as well as numerous citizen initiatives, mayoral races, and a variety of other local offices on the ballot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 United States House of Representatives elections</span> House elections for the 113th U.S. Congress

The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections were held on November 6, 2012. It coincided with the reelection of President Barack Obama. Elections were held for all 435 seats representing the 50 U.S. states and also for the delegates from the District of Columbia and five major U.S. territories. The winners of this election cycle served in the 113th United States Congress. This was the first congressional election using districts drawn up based on the 2010 United States census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 United States elections</span>

The 2014 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, in the middle of Democratic President Barack Obama's second term. A typical six-year itch midterm election suffered by most second-term presidents, this election saw the Republican Party retaining control of the House of Representatives and winning control of the Senate, while furthering their gains in the governorships and state legislatures. Because of these Republican gains, the election was commonly cited as a "red wave" election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States elections</span>

The 2016 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. Republican nominee Donald Trump defeated Democratic former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the presidential election, while Republicans retained control of Congress. This marked the first and most recent time Republicans won or held unified control of the presidency and Congress since 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 United States elections</span>

The 2018 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. These midterm elections occurred during Incumbent Republican President Donald Trump's term. Although the Republican Party increased its majority in the Senate, unified Republican control of Congress and the White House was brought to an end when the Democratic Party won control of the House of Representatives in what was widely characterized as a "blue wave" election as Democrats also gained governorships, other statewide offices, and state legislative chambers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 United States elections</span>

The 2017 United States elections were held, in large part, on Tuesday, November 7, 2017. This off-year election featured gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey, as well as state legislative elections in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature and in the Virginia House of Delegates. Numerous citizen initiatives, mayoral races, and a variety of other local elections also occurred. Special elections were also held for one seat of the U.S. Senate, representing Alabama, and six seats of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Democrats picked up the governorship in New Jersey and the Alabama Senate seat that was up for a special election. The governorship in Virginia and the six House seats that were up for special elections did not change party hands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States Senate elections</span>

The 2022 United States Senate elections were held on November 8, 2022, concurrently with other midterm elections at the federal, state and local levels. Regularly scheduled elections were held for 34 of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate, the winners of which will serve six-year terms beginning with the 118th United States Congress. Two special elections were held to complete unexpired terms. While pundits considered the Republican Party a slight favorite to gain control of the Senate, Senate Democrats outperformed expectations and expanded the majority they had held since 2021, gaining one seat for a functioning 51–49 majority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States elections</span>

The 2022 United States elections were held on November 8, 2022, with the exception of absentee balloting. During this U.S. midterm election, which occurred during the term of incumbent president Joe Biden of the Democratic Party, all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate were contested to determine the 118th United States Congress. Thirty-nine state and territorial U.S. gubernatorial elections, as well as numerous state and local elections, were also contested. This was the first election affected by the 2022 redistricting that followed the 2020 census. The Republican Party ended unified Democratic control of Congress and the presidency by winning a majority in the House of Representatives while Democrats expanded their Senate majority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 United States elections</span>

The 2024 United States elections are scheduled to be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. During this presidential election year, the president and vice president will be elected. In addition, all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives and 34 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate will be contested to determine the membership of the 119th United States Congress. Thirteen state and territorial governorships and numerous other state and local elections will also be contested.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2026 United States Senate elections</span>

The 2026 United States Senate elections are scheduled to be held on November 3, 2026, with 33 of the 100 seats in the Senate being contested in regular elections, the winners of which will serve 6-year terms in the United States Congress from January 3, 2027, to January 3, 2033. Senators are divided into 3 groups, or classes, whose terms are staggered so that a different class is elected every 2 years. Class 2 senators were last elected in 2020, and will be up for election in 2032.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2025 United States elections</span>

The 2025 United States elections are scheduled to be held, in large part, on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. The off-year election includes gubernatorial and state legislative elections in a few states, as well as numerous mayoral races, and a variety of other local offices on the ballot. Special elections to the United States Congress may take place if vacancies arise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">119th United States Congress</span> 2025–2027 meeting of U.S. legislature

The 119th United States Congress is the next meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It is scheduled to meet in Washington, D.C., from January 3, 2025, to January 3, 2027, during the final weeks of Joe Biden's term in office. The elections of November 2024 will decide control of both houses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2026 United States gubernatorial elections</span>

United States gubernatorial elections are scheduled to be held on November 3, 2026, in 36 states and three territories. The previous gubernatorial elections for this group of states took place in 2022, except in New Hampshire and Vermont, where governors serve two-year terms and will elect their governors in 2024. Most, but not all of the elections have an incumbent who is officially term-limited.

References

  1. Zahniser, David (July 1, 2024). "L.A. Mayor Karen Bass launches her reelection bid, saying, 'We cannot afford to stop our momentum'". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved July 25, 2024.