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December 29th, 2024 Len’s Political Note #695 Democratic held US Senate Seats up for Election in 2026
2026 General Election
This is early to begin thinking about 2026. I think so. You probably think so. The people who are running or thinking about running do not think so. Nor do the people around them. They are getting ready.
Begin thinking.
Democrats
Colorado John Hickenlooper He is 72 years old and has a BA and MA from Wesleyan University. He worked as a geologist in Colorado and when he was laid off, he opened a brew-pub in Denver. With the pub as a base, he was elected and reelected mayor of Denver, elected and reelected governor of Colorado, and, in 2000, was elected US Senator for Colorado by a 53.5 to 44.2 margin. As a governor, he was described as a pro-business centrist. As a Senator, he puts dealing with climate change at the top of his list of issues. He has announced his candidacy for reelection. You can be an early donor.
Delaware Chris Coons He is 61 years old and has a BA from Amherst College, a theology Master’s and a JD from Yale. He worked for non-profits after college with a particular interest in responsible investing. After law school, clerking, and more non-profit work, he became in-house council for Delaware-based Gore-Tex. After elected office on the county level, he was elected to the US Senate in a special election in 2010 when Joe Biden became Vice President. A deeply religious man, before his interest in electoral politics he was involved in the effort to change South Africa through divestment. He retains those qualities as Chair of the Select Committee on ethics and as chair of the Appropriations committee’s subcommittee that deals with foreign affairs. In the 2020 election, he won 59.4 to 37.9. He has not announced his plans for 2026.
Georgia Jon Ossoff He is 37 years old, has a BS from Georgetown and an MS from the London School of Economics. Before running for elective office, he was a Congressional staffer and a documentary film maker. Before running for the US Senate, he had been a candidate for a Congressional seat. He came in second in the 2020 US Senate race 47.95 to 49.73, but a runoff was required because, in Georgia, the winner must have a majority of the vote. Ossoff won the runoff 50.6 to 49.4. He has announced that he is running for reelection. His documentary films investigated international government corruption and death squads. In the Senate on the Judiciary committee, he chaired the Human Rights subcommittee and on the Homeland Security Committee he chaired the subcommittee on investigations. You can be an early donorfor the Democrats’ most vulnerable incumbent up for election in 2026.
Illinois Dick Durbin He is 80 years old, has a BS and a JD from Georgetown. After law school, he opened a practice in Springfield, the state capital. He served as the attorney to the Lt. Governor, as the attorney to the State Senate Judiciary Committee, ran unsuccessfully for the state senate and Lt. Governor, and was elected to Congress in 1982. After he continued to be reelected, he was elected US Senator in 1996. In 2020, he was reelected by a 54.9 to 38.9 margin. In 2006, one journal rated him as the most liberal US Senator, by 2019 another entity saw him as the 10th most liberal. He has been a practical Senator serving currently as the Democratic Whip and also as the Chair of the Judiciary Committee. He has not yet announced his intentions regarding 2026.
Massachusetts Ed Markey He is 78 years old, has a BA and JD from Boston College. He opened a law practice, was elected a state rep in 1972 and to the US Congress in a special election in 1976. He continued to be reelected until 2013, when he won a special election to the US Senate to replace John Kerry who had been named Secretary of State. Challenged in 2020 by Congressman Joe Kennedy, this was seen by some as a contest between Kennedy as a member of the Democratic establishment and Markey as the voice of a growing progressive wing of the Party. Markey won the primary with 55.6% of the vote He was reelected in 2020 by a 66-33 margin. In announcing his candidacy for 2026, his national goals were led by combatting climate change through a Green New Deal. You can be an early donor.
Michigan Gary Peters He is 66 years old, has a BA from Alma College, Masters degrees from Wayne State and Michigan State, and an MBA from the University of Detroit as well as a JD from Wayne State. Most of his career was with the stock broker firm Paine Webber where he was vice president before leaving to teach at universities, to work for the government, to be elected and reelected to the state senate, to be elected to Congress in 2008, and to the US Senate in 2014. He was so invested in regulating financial industries, he allied himself with the Occupy Wall Street demonstrators. More conventionally, he identifies his principal priority as improving health care and health care access. In 2020, he was reelected by a 49.9 to 48.2 margin. He has not yet announced his intentions regarding 2026. This will be a competitive seat if he does not run. It will be competitive if he does run. Michigan is closely divided between Republicans and Democrats.
Minnesota Tina Smith She is 66 years old with a BA from Stanford and an MBA from Dartmouth. She came to Minnesota to take a marketing job for General Mills, then later opened her own marketing firm. The marketing experience led her to managing several statewide Democratic campaigns and behind the scenes staff chief type political roles. She stepped down from Chief of Staff to Gov Mark Dayton to become his running mate in 2014. In 2017, after Al Franken resigned from the Senate, Governor Dayton appointed Tina Smith to replace him. She was elected in the 2018 special and reelected in 2020 by a 48.7 to 43.5 margin. Reminding us, in a way, of her behind the scenes propensity, Tina Smith chairs the rural development subcommittee of the Agriculture Committee and the community development subcommittee of the Banking Committee. Minnesota is not an easy win for Democrats, but it is not as precarious as Wisconsin or Michigan. Tina Smith has announced that she is running for reelection. You can be an early donor.
New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen She is 77 years old with a BA from Shippensburg State (PA) and an MSS from Mississippi. She taught school in Mississippi until she moved to NH with her husband. Bill Shaheen became an attorney and a judge in New Hampshire. Jeanne Shaheen worked on the Jimmy Carter campaign, the Gary Hart campaign, and local campaigns. In 1990, she was elected to the state senate, in 1996, she was elected governor and served three two-year terms. In 2002, she was elected to the US Senate and has regularly been reelected. National defense has been her highest priority in the Senate. She is on the Foreign Relations Committee, the Armed Services Committee, and is on both the defense subcommittee and the foreign operations subcommittee of the Appropriations committee of which she is also a member. In 2020, she won reelection by a 56.6 to 41 point margin. She has not yet announced whether she will run in 2026. If she does not run, New Hampshire will probably about as competitive as Minnesota.
New Jersey Cory Booker He is 55 years old with a BA and an MA from Stanford, an MA from Queens College, Oxford after being awarded a Rhodes Scholarship. He also has a JD from Yale. His concerns about urban poverty and corrupt political machines led him to running for and being elected to Newark’s City Council and running for mayor, He lost in 2002, but was elected mayor in 2006 and again in 2010. He was elected US Senator in 2013 in special election to replace Frank Lautenberg who retired due to illness. In 2020, he was reelected by a 57.2 to 41 margin. Consistent with the concerns that brought him to politics, Corry Booker identifies health care and criminal justice as his highest priority, He adds foreign policy and national security as another, He has announced he is running for reelection. You can be an early donor.
New Mexico Ben Ray Lujan He is 52 years old with a BBA degree from New Mexico Highlands University. His father was a county commissioner and eventually Speaker of the New Mexico House of Representatives. Ben Ray Lujan was a black jack dealer in a tribal casino and worked for the state in the Department of Cultural Affairs. In 2004, he was elected as a member of the state Public Regulation Commission. In 2008, he was elected to Congress until 2020 when he was elected to the US Senate to replace the retiring Tom Udall. A proponent of accessible health care, he advocated for a public option as part of the Affordable Care Act. He is also a proponent of renewable energy and the Green New Deal. In 2020, Ben Ray Lujan was elected by a margin of 51.7 to 45.6. He has not yet announced whether or not he will run for reelection in 2026.
Oregon Jeff Merkley He is 68 years old, a graduate of Stanford with an MPA from Princeton. After working for the Defense Department, he returned to Oregon to work for Habitat for Humanity and other non-profits. Elected as a state Rep, he became Speaker and then was to the US Senate in 2008. He entered the Senate metaphorically waving the progressive flag. He opposed Ben Bernanke for Fed Chair for not preventing the 2007-2008 recession as a reserve member. He was responsible for the Volker Rule prohibiting banks from risky trading. He kept at it – attempting a personal filibuster against the appointment of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court and, during the Trump administration, filmed his attempt to visit caged children kept separate from parents who were likely to be deported. In 2020, he was reelected by a margin of 56.9 to 39.3. He has announced his candidacy for 2026. With his candidacy, he still presses for progressive issues. He begins his 2026 campaign website pointing out how gerrymandering, voter suppression, and dark money have corrupted our democracy. To illuminate those issues, you can be an early donor.
Rhode Island Jack Reed He is 75 years old. The son of a school custodian, he has a BA from West Point, and an MPP and a JD from Harvard. A paratrooper, he left active duty after eight years of service and retired as a major from the reserves in 1991.He practiced law in DC and in Rhode Island, was elected a state senator in 1984, a Congressman in 1990, and to the US Senate in 1996. In 2020, he was reelected by a 66.5 to 33.4 margin. A “no vote” against GW Bush’s War in Iraq, Jack Reed has been the leading Democratic voice on defense policy and support for the military. He has announced his candidacy for 2026. You can be an early donor.
Twelve Democratic Senators are in seats that need to be defended. The Democratic seats we should worry about the most are Georgia and Michigan. Donate to Jon Ossoff of Georgia. Once he announces, donate to Gary Peters of Michigan.
Minnesota and New Hampshire are seats that are not quite as vulnerable; but they are vulnerable enough to be worried about. Donate to Tina Smith of Minnesota. Once she announces, donate to Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire.
There are no sure things. Republican Scott Brown was elected Senator from Massachusetts; Democrat Doug Jones was elected Senator from Alabama. With that caution in mind, it would not hurt to be an early donor to John Hickenlooper of Colorado, Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, and Jack Reed of Rhode Island.
Other elections to pay attention to, elections that will occur well before November, 2026.
Special Elections in Virginia. Elections are on January 7. The Senate District 32 vacancy exists because the State Senator was elected to represent Virginia in Congress on November 5. Before he resigned, Democrats had a 21-19 majority in the State Senate. Kannan Srinivasan represented District 26 in the House of Delegates. Before he resigned to run for the State Senate, Democrats had a 51-49 majority in the House of Delegates. Each of these races affect whether Democrats can keep their majority and can continue to minimize the damage that Glenn Youngkin, the Republican governor can do.
Virginia State Senate District 32. Ex Delegate Kannan Srinivasan DONATE See Len’s Political Note #686. The Democrat carried this district in November 2022 by a 61.1% to 38% margin.
Virginia State Senate District 10 Academic Jack Trammel. I would tell you to DONATE, but he does not seem to be raising money for this campaign. The Republican carried this district in November 2022 by a 65.7% to 34.1% margin.
Virginia State Delegate District 26 Hotelier JJ Singh DONATE. Singh is running to replace Kannan Srinivasan. The Democrat carried this district in November 2022 by a 62.2% to 37.6% margin.
In the two Democratic districts, help Kannan Srinivasan and JJ Singh stay well above 60%. Help Jack Trammel hold his Republican opponent to below 60%.
Special Elections in Florida. Both elections are on April 1
FL 01 Gay Valimont DONATE. See Len’s Political Note #694
FL 06. Three Democrats are running; the primary is on January 28.
Non Partisan General Elections in Wisconsin are on April 1
Superintendent of Public Instruction: Jill Underly DONATE. See Len’s Political Note #693.
Wisconsin Supreme Court: Susan M. Crawford. DONATE See Len’s Political Note #684
OPPOSE TRUMP NOMINEES. Not all of them. Call your Senator. Call a Republican Senator. You could explain (if you agree with what I am suggesting) you expect Trump to nominate Republicans; that you have no objection to Marco Rubio for Secretary of state or his former attorneys Todd Blanche and Emile Bove in the Justice Department (after all he has relied on them). But you to object to:
Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense – because he has a reputation for drinking and financial mismanagement and bad treatment of women and because he opposes women in combat
Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence – because she seems to support Russian positions more than American positions and because she is entirely inexperienced in the area of intelligence.
Linda McMahon for Secretary of Education – because, opposite of what good education should be, she made her fortune with a fake sport that encourages violence and because she winked at the sexual exploitation of boys by a senior figure in the organization.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr for Secretary of Health and Human Services – despite his support for choice on abortion, because he has strange views about the value of vaccination and other health issues such as fluoride in the water and because he gets so intense on a topic he can destroy an organization
Kash Patel for Director of the FBI – because he has announced his intention to use the FBI as an instrument of vengeance. It should be a law enforcement agency.
Billy Long for Commissioner of the IRS – because he opposes the income tax and would replace it with a sales tax. It would take a sales tax in the 23 to 30% range to raise the money we currently raise with income taxes,
Contact: Your senators. (google them, find their Washington office telephone number)
Contact the four Republican Senators who were willing to publicly oppose Matthew Gaetz
Mitch McConnell KY (202-224-2541) (A polio survivor, McConnell is critical of Kennedy for his opposition to vaccines)
Lisa Murkowski AK (202-224-6665),
Susan Collins ME ((202-224-2523, and
Congressman John Curtis who is the Senator-elect from Utah (202-225-7751)
Contact other Republican Senators who have become wary of Trump
Thom Tillis NC. (202-225-6342)
Todd Young IN. (202-225-5623)
Joni Ernst IA (202-225-3254)
Lindsey Graham SC (202-225-5972)
Jim Justice WV (Elected in November, currently Governor, try that office (304-558-2000}
Contact any other Senator you would like to contact,
