Janet Mills Maine

Four Challenging Senate Races For 2026 For Democrats

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Several states with Republican Senate seats up for 2026 will be a challenge for Democrats, with them needing at least a gain of four seats, assuming the party keeps all of the seats they have coming up for reelection, in order to regain control of the US Senate in 2027.

This includes the states of:

Alaska
Iowa
Kentucky
Maine
Nebraska
North Carolina
Ohio
Texas

Today, there will be examination and analysis of the first four races listed above, with a later article on the latter four states.

In Alaska, native American former Congresswoman Mary Peltola is challenging Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, and this is believed to be a potential gain for Democrats, who see her race as the crucial one on the road to a Democratic majority in the Senate.

In Iowa, Senator Joni Ernst is retiring, and Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson is favored as the Republican nominee, seen as having an edge in a state that has trended Republican in recent times.

However, there are two Democrats who have drawn interest—Zach Wahls, who became noticed 15 years ago when he openly supported his lesbian parents, and would end up in the Iowa state legislature, as a liberal activist; and Josh Turek, born with spina bifida, but while being in a wheelchair for his lifetime, has been a competitor in wheelchair basketball sports, along with service in the Iowa legislature. Wahls is seen as more progressive, while Turek is seen as more moderate in views.

Kentucky, a strongly Republican state, is choosing a successor to long term Senator Mitch McConnell, who had been both Senate Majority Leader and Senate Minority Leader. The Republican favorite is former State Attorney General Daniel Cameron, but challenged by Congressman Andy Barr, one of the most extreme right wing members of the Republican Party in Congress.

Democrats have two former contenders for the Senate—Amy McGrath, former Marine fighter pilot; and Charles Booker, former state legislator. Sadly, it would be a major upset if either Democrat won the Senate seat.

The state of Maine will have the most hotly contested election for the Senate, with Republican incumbent Susan Collins, in her 30th year in the Senate, and having a moderate image, but under attack by both her own party, including Donald Trump, but also Democrats who see a great opportunity to take this seat.

Collins is in her mid 70s, and her two Democratic opponents are sitting Governor Janet Mills, who would be, at 79, the oldest first term US Senator in history, if she won; and Graham Platner, oyster farmer, harbor master, and military veteran, who has become controversial for his past statements, his chest tattoo, and his perceived extreme utterances on a multitude of issues.

Polls indicate a very close competition between Mills and Planter, and between either of them and Collins, and this could be the tipping point election for control of the Senate in 2027.

At this point, the states of Alaska and Maine seem potential gains for the Democrats, with some possibility in Iowa, but unlikely any chance to win in Kentucky!

Potential Additions To Women Democratic Governors In 2026 Elections!

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At present, there are 8 Democratic women governors, but four of them are not running for reelection, including Janet Mills of Maine, Laura Kelly of Kansas, Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan.

Those who are running for reelection in 2026 include Kathy Hochul of New York, Maura Healey of Massachusetts, Katie Hobbs of Arizona, and Tina Kotek of Oregon.

But there is a new group of Democratic women who are competing for Governors of their states.

These include

Katie Porter of California
Keisha Lance Bottoms of Georgia
Jocelyn Benson of Michigan
Deb Haaland of New Mexico
Amy Acton of Ohio

Hopefully, these women can have success in their states, and most challenging in Georgia and Ohio, which tend to be “Red”.

The Issue Of “Age” In Upcoming Midterm Elections In 2026

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The US Congress, in both chambers, is the oldest in age of any period of American history, and the issue of whether it is time for members in their 70s, 80s, and beyond to move on, and allow a younger generation better able to relate to the future, to be replacing them.

David Hogg of Florida, who was a Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee, caused controversy in promoting such change, and he was pushed out, and is working with others to challenge many older, longer serving members in upcoming primaries for the 2026 Congressional Elections.

And the issue has come to the forefront, particularly, in the state of Maine, where Democratic Governor Janet Mills, age 77, is challenging sitting Republican Senator Susan Collins, who will have served for 30 years in the upper chamber, and is presently 72 years old.

So Graham Plattner, age 41, an oyster famer and Marine Corp veteran, is challenging Janet Mills, with the issue of age being a crucial one.

And Maine already has Senator Angus King, who just won reelection at age 80 in 2024, and Vermont has Bernie Sanders, who won reelection in 2024 at age 83.

But there are other such cases, as with Democratic Senator Ed Markey of Massacusetts, age 80, who has served a half century combined in the House of Representatives until 2013, and since then in the Senate. Congressman Seth Moulton, age 47, is arguing that while Markey has been an excellent leader for Massachusetts, it is time for change.

Other Democratic Senators of advanced age are retiring, including Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, and New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Also Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is retiring in 2026.

But there are others who are over 70 and choosing to run for reelection, or planning to when the next elecion for their seat takes place, including Ron Wyden of Oregon and Chuck Schumer of New York in 2028.

Also, in the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi of California, Steny Hoyer of Maryland, Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, and Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, the fist three past leaders in the chamber, are running again in 2026, despite their being in their 80s. And Republican Senator and President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley also could run for reelection in 2028, although at present, he is 92 years old!

It would seem legitimate that these older political leaders would finally give up their positions, and allow for the future generation to take over Congress.

Women Democratic Governors And Nominees Work To Insure Abortion Rights In Midterm Elections

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The Democratic Party has a substantial number of women governors, and women gubernatorial nominees, who would insure that abortion rights would be restored or kept as they are, despite the Supreme Court move against abortion rights in June!

This includes the following Governors:

Laura Kelly of Kansas
Janet Mills of Maine
Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan
Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico
Kathy Hochul of New York

Also, the following gubernatorial nominees:

Stacey Abrams of Georgia
Diedre Dejear of Iowa
Nan Whaley of Ohio
Nellie Gorbea of Rhode Island

And three open seats with Democratic women nominees:

Katie Hobbs of Arizona
Maura Healey of Massachusetts
Tina Kotek of Oregon

At this point, the odds would favor all five sitting Governors to be reelected; a tough battle for four nominees against sitting governors; and excellent possibilities for three open seats women nominees.

The elections most likely to gain attention are:

Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan
Stacey Abrams of Georgia
Nan Whaley of Ohio
Katie Hobbs of Arizona

The Potential For More Women Senators And Governors After The 2018 Midterm Elections, Mostly Democrats

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More women than ever before are running for public office on the state legislative level, for the US House of Representatives, and for the state governorships and the US Senate.

Particularly in the Democratic Party, women will have a much greater role after the midterm elections, no matter who might lose.

2018 is the greatest year of women candidates for public office, surpassing 1992 and 2012, and the difference is that this round is a midterm election, while the other two were years of presidential elections.

So 53 women are running for the Senate and 476 running for the House of Representatives, while in 2012, the numbers were 36 for the Senate and 298 for the House, and in 1992, the numbers were 11 for the Senate, and 106 for the House.

There are presently 23 women Senators, and the numbers, depending on results in the midterm, could increase to 26, or if a number of women Senators lost their seat next week, the number could be as low as 16.

The Democrats have 17 women in the Senate, with the Republicans having six at the present time. Jacky Rosen in Nevada and Kyrsten Sinema in Arizona, along with Republican Marsha Blackburn in Tennessee, could raise the number up to 26, assuming all women running for reelection were to keep their seats.

12 women are running for governor, and there are six women governors at present. Stacey Abrams in Georgia, who is African American; Laura Kelly in Kansas; Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan; Molly Kelly in New Hampshire; Janet Mills in Maine; Christine Hallquist in Vermont; and Michelle Lujan Grisham in New Mexico, all Democrats, seem to have strong possibilities of being elected, joining two other Democratic women governors, and four Republican women governors at present.