These are the races that decide whether the resistance wins or loses in 2026. Eighteen to defeat. Eighteen to elect. Every House seat, every Senate seat, every governorship on this list was chosen because it is winnable, it matters, or both. Know the names. Make the calls. Send the money. Show up.
Every U.S. House seat is on the ballot — plus 34 Senate seats and 36 governorships. Democrats need a net gain of 4 seats to take the House majority.
Trump-endorsed Lt. Governor running to continue South Carolina's hard-right governance — championed the largest income tax cut in state history for the wealthy while opposing reproductive freedom. A McMaster clone who will rubber-stamp every MAGA priority from Columbia.
Running for a fifth Senate term after perfecting the art of spineless capitulation — the man who called Trump "unfit for office" in 2016 and has spent every year since auditioning to be his footstool. Voted to overturn the 2020 election and has blocked every meaningful gun safety measure.
Trump's chosen successor to DeSantis, Donalds wants to continue and extend Florida's agenda of book bans, abortion restrictions, attacks on LGBTQ+ rights, and the gutting of public education. Wants to be the next strongman of the nation's third-largest state.
The queen of the "I'm deeply concerned" non-vote — Collins built a career performing moderate discomfort while voting with MAGA when it counted most. She confirmed Kavanaugh, voted against key climate legislation, and has enabled Trump at every critical moment. She is beatable in 2026.
Impeached by his own Republican colleagues for corruption and abuse of office, then acquitted by the GOP-controlled Texas Senate — now he wants to be a U.S. Senator. Paxton is the most corrupt major politician in America. Texas deserves better.
The MAGA pit bull of the House Judiciary Committee who turned congressional oversight into a weaponized circus to harass Democrats and shield Trump. A key architect of the January 6th pressure campaign who refused to cooperate with the House Select Committee investigating the insurrection.
The constitutional lawyer who helped draft the legal strategy to throw out millions of votes in 2020 — and then became Speaker of the House. Has used the gavel to block aid, gut safety net programs, and carry water for every Trump demand.
Iowa Congresswoman running for Senate with a reliable MAGA record — anti-abortion, against gun safety legislation, and a vote to repeal the ACA. Iowa has competitive pockets and Democrat Josh Turek is the alternative.
MAGA firebrand who has made the culture war her full-time job — filing frivolous impeachment resolutions, amplifying conspiracy theories, and grandstanding while her Tampa Bay constituents struggle with Florida's affordability crisis. Recent polling shows Democrat Leela Gray within 2 points.
The Wisconsin congressman famous for screaming at Senate pages has since compiled a hard-right voting record on immigration, reproductive rights, and social programs. He sits in a purple district in a state Biden nearly won — he is flippable.
Abbott has made cruelty a governing philosophy — busing migrants as political stunts, signing the nation's most extreme abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest, and ordering troops to push migrants back into the Rio Grande. Running for re-election and must be defeated.
Alaska's Republican senator has been a reliable MAGA vote while hiding behind Alaska's reputation for independence. Supported rolling back environmental protections in one of the world's most ecologically sensitive states. Mary Peltola can beat him.
A multimillionaire son of a billionaire who effectively bought his Senate seat and has voted in lockstep with the Trump agenda since day one. He is the embodiment of everything wrong with money in American politics — independent Dan Osborn is his opponent.
Freedom Caucus hardliner who voted against certifying the 2020 election results and has been one of the most extreme voices in the House. Now running for Senate in Alabama — if he wins the June runoff, pour resources into the Democratic nominee.
Far-right congressman in a Republican runoff to challenge Jon Ossoff for Georgia's Senate seat. Collins has been a performative MAGA vote who would trade Ossoff's effectiveness for grandstanding. Georgia must hold.
The Republican who lost Michigan's 2024 Senate race by just 0.34% is back. A former FBI agent turned reliable partisan, Rogers would flip a critical Democratic seat and deepen the Republican Senate majority. Michigan is a must-win.
Ohio's Lt. Governor running for the Senate seat vacated by JD Vance — a career MAGA loyalist with a history of voter suppression efforts in Ohio. Helped lay the groundwork for Trump's election lies. Sherrod Brown is the answer.
Former state senator who won a special election for Florida's 6th Congressional District with an anti-LGBTQ+ record and performative cruelty as his brand. Despite Trump carrying the district by 30 points, Democrat Josh Weil pulled 42.7% in the special election — Fine is a target in November.
SC Democratic gubernatorial candidate running to bring balance back to a state dominated by one-party rule. Campaigning on economic fairness, healthcare access, and restoring reproductive rights in a state that has become a laboratory for MAGA governance.
A pediatrician challenging Lindsey Graham, Andrews brings the moral authority of someone who has actually treated children affected by the policies Graham supports or ignores. A doctor taking on a career politician in a race Democrats can make genuinely competitive.
Former Republican congressman who left the party over Trump and is now running for Florida governor as a Democrat — focused on the affordability crisis, boosting public education, and gun safety measures. The first serious Democrat in the race, raising $2M+ and closing in the polls.
Leading Susan Collins 51–42 in a recent University of New Hampshire poll — this race is real. Platner is a fresh voice with the progressive-moderate coalition that wins in Maine's ranked-choice system. Collins has gotten away with her "concerned moderate" act long enough.
Young Texas state representative known for passionate floor speeches and genuinely progressive values in one of the hardest states to be a Democrat. Running against impeached-and-acquitted Ken Paxton in a state slowly trending competitive. The right candidate for this moment.
Iowa Democrat challenging Ashley Hinson for Senate with a working-class economic message that can peel off voters frustrated with Republican governance. Iowa has more competitive terrain than its red reputation suggests — Turek is the candidate to watch.
Challenging Anna Paulina Luna in a Tampa Bay district where a recent poll shows Gray trailing just 39–41. One of the most winnable pickup opportunities in Florida — Gray is running a serious, well-funded campaign in a district that should be competitive.
Running in a Wisconsin district that leans Republican but is flippable in a strong Democratic environment. Van Order's erratic behavior and extreme record make him a genuine vulnerability — Cook is the credible alternative purple Wisconsin voters deserve.
Texas state representative and Democratic gubernatorial candidate running against Greg Abbott. A Latina Democrat from Austin with a record fighting for reproductive rights, gun safety, and public education. Facing an uphill battle in Texas — but Abbott's cruelty is the contrast.
Alaska's former congresswoman and the first Alaska Native elected to Congress is the strongest Democrat in the state. Running against Sullivan with a track record on fishing rights, subsistence living, and environmental protection — issues Alaskans actually care about.
Independent steamfitter and former union organizer who nearly pulled off a historic upset in 2024, losing to GOP Sen. Fischer by just 7 points in a state Trump won by 20. Back again, declaring "Congress shouldn't just be a playground for the rich." The Democrat who won the primary has signaled she may step aside to give Osborn a clear path against Ricketts.
Former two-term North Carolina governor with a proven record of winning statewide in a purple state. The strongest potential Democratic candidate for Senate in NC — a proven executive who withstood a hostile GOP-controlled legislature for years. If he's in, he's the one.
Lowndes County district attorney running as a Democrat against Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith — the senator who joked about attending a "public hanging." Mississippi is a long shot, but Colom is a serious candidate with prosecutorial credibility who gives voters a real contrast.
One of the most important Senate incumbents on the 2026 map. Ossoff has been an effective, nationally visible senator in a state that is genuinely purple. His reelection is critical to any path to a Democratic majority — Georgia must hold.
Michigan state senator who became a national figure with a floor speech defending LGBTQ+ families that went viral for all the right reasons. A fierce, media-savvy candidate running in a primary where she, El-Sayed, or Stevens will face Rogers in November. Michigan is a must-win.
The genuine working-class champion of the Senate — defeated in a brutal 2024 cycle but potentially back for 2026. Brown has a 30-year record of fighting for Ohio workers, crossing party lines on trade, and delivering real results. If he runs against Husted, this is winnable.
In a Democratic runoff for Alabama's open Senate seat, Larriett represents a new generation of Southern Democrats willing to compete where the party has ceded ground. Alabama is deep red — but Doug Jones won it once, and every contested seat matters in a wave year.
The Democrat who pulled 42.7% against Randy Fine in a district Trump carried by 30 points — in a special election, in March, with minimal resources. In a full general election with a motivated Democratic base, Weil can win Florida's 6th Congressional District.