Senate control hangs on seven tight races
House leadership may be decided Tuesday, but Senate control remains uncertain due to narrow margins and ranked choice voting in two states.
By Noor Rossi ·
Polls close in stages across the United States on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, with final results potentially arriving over several days or weeks.
While House leadership is expected to be determined relatively quickly due to larger voting margins, the Senate race is far less clear. Seven states present highly competitive contests, and two of those states use ranked choice voting, a process that can extend the counting period significantly.
In Georgia, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff is projected to defeat Republican Representative Mike Collins. The governor's race is tighter, pitting billionaire businessman Rick Jackson against former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger stated that new laws now require counties to report results within one hour of polls closing.
North Carolina and Ohio feature key Senate contests. In North Carolina, former Governor Roy Cooper challenges Michael Whatley, a former Republican National Committee chairman. Democrats last won a Senate seat in the state in 2008. In Ohio, Republican Senator Jon Husted faces former Senator Sherrod Brown. The state's gubernatorial race pits Amy Acton against Vivek Ramaswamy, who recently aired an attack ad featuring Acton's estranged mother.
Maine, Florida, and Pennsylvania offer additional battlegrounds. In Maine, incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins faces a challenge from Democrat Troy Jackson. Florida's Senate race favors incumbent Ashley Moody, while the governor's race between Byron Donalds and David Jolly leans Republican. Pennsylvania, which had multiple competitive House seats earlier in the cycle, now sees its toss-ups tilting toward Democrats.
Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, and Texas close polls at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. Arizona's gubernatorial race between Katie Hobbs and Andy Biggs has tilted toward Hobbs. In Texas, Democratic nominee James Talarico faces Republican nominee Ken Paxton. Talarico may lead initially due to early voting data, but Paxton is expected to gain ground as county totals are reported.
Iowa and Kansas present open or contested Senate races. In Iowa, Republican Representative Ashley Hinson runs against Democrat Josh Turek. Kansas sees Republican Senator Roger Marshall challenged by Democrat Adam Hamilton. Michigan's gubernatorial race between Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers remains a toss-up, with the state's Senate race also closely watched.
Montana and Nevada close at 10 p.m. Eastern Time. Montana's first congressional district features a toss-up between Democrat Sam Forstag and Republican Aaron Flint. Nevada's governor's race is a toss-up between incumbent Joe Lombardo and Democrat Aaron Ford. California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington close polls at 11 p.m. Eastern Time, with California's newly redrawn congressional map favoring Democrats in several close races.
Source: WBHM
