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Control of the Senate Is Up for Grabs

July 1, 2026 · 6:00 am ET · Leave a Comment

“Democrats face an uphill battle to win control of the Senate but have pulled within striking distance of enough Republican-held seats to put the majority in play this fall,” according to new New York Times/Siena polls in six Senate battleground states.

“Republicans are hampered by the unpopularity of President Trump and his diminished standing on the economy, while most of the Democratic candidates are so far running ahead of their party’s own struggling brand, the polls show.”

“Winning the Senate remains a stiff challenge for Democrats. Republicans hold 53 seats, meaning that Democrats would need to flip at least four seats while defending all of their own vulnerable ones.”

Nate Cohn: “The polls find Democrats ahead in only two Republican-held states, less than the minimum of four they would need to win the chamber, with Roy Cooper leading by seven percentage points in North Carolina and Graham Platner leading by two in the previously reported poll of Maine. Republicans lead by two points in Alaska and Iowa and three points in Ohio. The race in Texas is tied.”

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Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

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