There are 470 total seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate that are up for election in November, but control of both chambers will likely be determined by a small group of competitive races. Democrats and Republicans each have a certain block of seats that they consider safe, with long hoping to get a w standing patterns of voters in those districts supporting one party or the other.
That leaves the so-called battleground areas where either party could win. These are the areas where the two major parties have spent millions of dollars in and in turn deliver an important House or Senate majority.
Key Senate races
Heading into the election, Republicans hold a 53-47 Senate majority. Thirty-five of the chamber’s seats are on the ballot in November: 22 currently held by Republicans and 13 held by Democrats.
In Alaska, Republican Dan Sullivan is seeking reelection to the seat he has held since 2015. Democrat Mary Peltola, a former House representative for the state, is seeking to flip the seat for her party. One wrinkle to this race: An independent candidate, also named Dan Sullivan, is on the ballot as well.
In Georgia, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff is seeking his second term after being elected to this seat in 2021. Republican Congressman Mike Collins is trying to move up from the House to the Senate representing a state that President Donald Trump won in 2024.
In Iowa, Republican Senator Joni Ernst is retiring after two terms, leaving an open race between Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson and Democrat Josh Turek, a state legislator.
In Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton, who leads the country’s largest United Methodist church, is trying to become the first Democrat elected to the senate from the state since 1932. He is trying to unseat Republican Senator Roger Marshall, who was elected to this seat in 2020.
Maine Republican Susan Collins is seeking another term for the Senate seat she has held since first being elected in 1996. Democrats have made unseating her a top priority, with Troy Jackson, a former state Senate President, as their candidate.
In Michigan, the retirement of Democratic Senator Gary Peters has given way to a tight battle between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official, and Republican former Congressman Mike Rogers.
Another Democratic retirement has opened a seat in New Hampshire, with Senator Jeanne Shaheen not running for reelection. Former Republican Senator John Sununu, who lost this seat in 2008, has returned to face Democratic Congressman Chris Pappas.
In North Carolina, Republican Thom Tillis’ retirement has opened a race between Republican Michael Whatley, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee, and Democrat Roy Cooper, the state’s former governor.
A special election in Ohio has drawn some of the highest spending by the two parties, as they seek to fill the final two years of the Senate term Vice President JD Vance vacated upon taking office in 2025. Republican Jon Husted was appointed to the seat and is now seeking election to finish the term. Democrat Sherrod Brown is trying to return to the Senate after losing his seat in 2024.
In Texas, Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton is facing Democrat James Talarico, a state representative. Democrats are trying to reverse a longstanding conservative hold in the state where they have not won a Senate seat since 1988.
The race for the House of Representatives
Republicans hold a slim majority in the House of Representatives as well, with Democrats seeking to gain a net of four seats to flip control.
Among the races to watch are seats in three districts that Republicans won in 2024, but also where a majority of voters supported Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
In New York’s 17th district, incumbent Republican Mike Lawler is seeking reelection against Democrat Cait Conley, a former national security official in the Biden administration.
In Nebraska’s 2nd district, Democrat Denise Powell, a political activist, is facing Republican Brinker Harding, a city council member, in an open race following the retirement of Republican Congressman Don Bacon.
And in Pennsylvania’s 1st district, incumbent Republican Brian Fitzpatrick is facing Democrat Bob Harvie, a county commissioner.
In a case of a Democrat-held seat in a district that supported President Trump in 2024, incumbent Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is running for reelection against Republican John Braun, the state senate’s Republican leader in Washington's third district.
The lead-up to this election cycle featured a battle in multiple states over congressional district maps, with Republicans and Democrats seeking to redraw districts in a way that could make them more favorable to candidates from their party.
One such area is Texas’ 34th district, where Republicans redistricted to try to gain an advantage. Democratic Congressman Vicente Gonzalez is seeking a sixth term in office and is facing Republican Eric Flores, a former federal prosecutor.
In California’s 22nd district, it was Democrats who tried to use a new map to gain an edge. Republican Congressman David Valadao is trying to hold his seat for another term with Democrat Randy Villegas, a professor, as his challenger.
Other races to watch include Maine’s 2nd district, where the retirement of Democratic incumbent Jared Golden has opened a race between Republican Paul LePage, a former state governor, and Democrat Matt Dunlap, a state auditor.
And in Ohio, the state’s 7th district features a race between Republican Congressman Max Miller and Democrat Brian Poindexter, an ironworker.
Election day is November 3. The elected members of Congress will be sworn in on January 3.