US midterm elections 2026: Five key Senate races that could determine control of Congress

The Jerusalem Post previews five key US Senate races in the 2026 midterm elections: Michigan (El-Sayed vs. Rogers), Texas (Talarico vs. Paxton), North Carolina (Whately vs. Cooper), Georgia (Ossoff vs. Collins), and Alaska (Peltola vs. Sullivan). Polls show Democrats leading in four races. Democrats need seven seats for a 51-seat majority.

The Jerusalem Post previews five key US Senate races in the 2026 midterm elections that could determine control of Congress. In Michigan, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed leads MAGA favorite Mike Rogers by seven points, 51% to 44%, according to a CBS Detroit poll. In Texas, Democrat James Talarico is running against Attorney-General Ken Paxton, a MAGA loyalist. In North Carolina, ex-RNC chair Michael Whately trails former governor Roy Cooper by 10 points. In Georgia, Jewish Sen. John Ossoff leads GOP Congressman Mike Collins 52.6% to 42.3%. In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola leads Republican Dan Sullivan 50.2% to 48.4%, amid an investigation into a ballot-stacking scheme. Democrats need seven seats for a 51-seat majority.