Democrats step up recruitment efforts in bid to win back Senate majority in 2026

As they mount their uphill effort to win back the Senate majority in next year’s midterm elections, Democrats feel that they’re on a roll.

Late last month, they landed their biggest recruit to date, when former two-term Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina declared his candidacy in the 2026 race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis.

Democrats view the open Senate seat in the crucial southeastern battleground state as a top pick-up opportunity next year as they try to win back control of the Senate, which the Republicans currently hold with a 53-47 majority.

“It’s hard to overstate the importance of getting Gov. Cooper to run for the Senate in North Carolina, and already we are seeing a potential for a ripple effect,” longtime Democratic strategist Chris Moyer told Fox News Digital.

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Moyer, a veteran campaign communicator, said that Cooper recruitment is “giving more faith to potential candidates who are questioning whether there’s a chance for a Democratic majority in the Senate next year.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) Chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, after landing Cooper, said he “is a formidable candidate who will flip North Carolina’s Senate seat.”

Top Democrats now have their eyes on former Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, who lost last year’s re-election bid in a onetime top swing state that’s become reliably red over the past decade.

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Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, trekked to Ohio this summer in hopes of convincing Brown to take on Republican Sen. Jon Husted, Fox News confirmed.

Brown, who served over three decades in the House and later the Senate, is viewed by Democrats as the only candidate who could potentially topple Husted, who was named at the beginning of this year to fill the seat left vacant when then-Sen. JD Vance stepped down to become vice president. 

Democrats landed the candidate they were hoping for in swing state New Hampshire in the race to succeed retiring longtime Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.

Four-term Rep. Chris Pappas’ announcement in early April that he would run to succeed Shaheen has cleared the Democratic primary field, as of now, of any potential rivals for the party’s Senate nomination.

Meanwhile, a Republican primary in the state – where the GOP hasn’t won a Senate race in 15 years – is heating up between former Sen. Scott Brown and state Sen. Dan Innis, with the possibility of more candidates entering the race.

In battleground Georgia, which President Donald Trump narrowly carried in last year’s White House race, Republicans view first-term Sen. Jon Ossoff as the most vulnerable Democrat incumbent up for re-election next year.

But Ossoff is off to a very hot fundraising start, and a GOP primary between Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, and former college and professional football coach Derek Dooley, is starting to turn combustible.

Of potential concern for the Democrats is Michigan, where the dynamics appear to be the opposite of Georgia, in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.

Former Rep. Mike Rogers, the 2024 GOP Senate nominee who narrowly lost last year’s race, appears to have cleared the Republican, thanks in great part to Trump’s endorsement and likely arm twisting by the president’s political team.

Democrats, meanwhile, have a very competitive primary on their hands. The primary race includes three well-known Democrats: Rep. Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, and former gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who enjoys the backing of progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

And popular Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is running for the Senate as an independent, which could potentially hurt Democrats in the general election.

While Texas has long been a reliable red state, and conservative firebrand Sen. Ted Cruz comfortably won re-election last year, Democrats are optimistic about their 2026 chances to potentially flip a red seat to blue.

That’s because longtime GOP Sen. John Cornyn is facing a serious primary challenge from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a MAGA world rockstar.

Paxton has long been surrounded by scandals, and is now dealing with a headline-grabbing divorce with his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxtom. And Democrats believe if Paxton topples Cornyn in next March’s GOP primary, he’ll be toxic in the general election.

But Democrats could have a competitive primary in Texas as well.

Former Rep. Colin Allred, who lost to Cruz last November, launched a second straight campaign earlier this year.

Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who came close to ousting Cruz in the state’s 20218 Senate election before unsuccessfully running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination and losing the 2022 Texas gubernatorial race to GOP Gov. Greg Abbott, is taking a hard look at a 2026 Senate run.

State Rep. James Talarico, who grabbed national attention recently for his appearance with popular podcaster Joe Rogan, and Rep. Joaquin Castro, are also mulling bids.

Democrats also feel they may have a shot in Iowa – a onetime swing state that’s become firmly red in recent election cycles – if Republican Sen. Joni Ernst decides against seeking a third term in the Senate.

But they’ll likely have a much better chance of flipping a GOP-held seat in blue state Maine if longtime Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins decides against seeking re-election.