2026 Elections, you'd better Vote!
Yes, Election Day is less than 80 days away and it's the first time for Americans to vote on how they feel about Trump 2.0. How you feeling about it? bad? okay! lets do something!
here's a run down of Senate races, if you're able you better get out there, knock doors, make calls, text, send postcards whatever you're able to do!
Alaska is usually a Republican state but in 2022 Mary Peltola won an upset victory to become the state's only Congressperson, the first Democrat in that office since 1972. Mary is the first and only Alaska Native to have served in Congress. She was narrowly beaten in 2024 when the state went to Trump by 15 points but Peltola lost by only 2. Now she's back running for the US Senate. Peltola is known for her slogan "Fish, Family, and Freedom" pushing to protect Alaska's fisheries, protect small businesses from huge corporations, and reign in an out of control politics in Washington. Peltola is running against Republican Senator Dan Sullivan who unlike Alaska's other Senator has been a rubber stamp for Trump supporting basically everything the second Trump administration has done not even offering fig leaf oversight and happily selling our Alaska.
Senator Jon Ossoff dramatically won his Senate in a run off taking place just after the 2020 Presidential election. It was an incredibly narrow win in a traditionally Republican state. In his 6 years as one of Georgia's first Democratic Senators in a generation Ossoff has become a powerful voice. His cutting questions during hearings often nail Trump administration figures and offer some of the only oversight for this messy government. Ossoff has consistently fought to protect voting rights in the name of his mentor the late Congressman John Lewis. Going into this year it was widely believed Ossoff faced the toughest re-election of any Democratic Senator. Trump endorsed Republican Congressman Mike Collins is running to unseat Ossoff. Members of Collins staff have been linked to white nationalist groups and Collins himself is under an ethics investigation. Collins is also known for Trump levels of crazy posting on-line. Georgia has a choice between a smart, hard working, forward looking Senator, and a very on-line 60 year old troll. Vote accordingly.
Gold medal winning Paralympian and State Rep Josh Turek is running to flip usually Republican Iowa. Since Obama's 2012 win in the state Iowa has made a major and massive shift from swing state to deep red. However Trump's tariff policy has been devastating to farm country leading to a 200% rise in farm bankruptcy. This looks like setting off an earthquake in Iowa politics with Senate, Governor and 3 of its 4 House seats in play. Before running for office Josh Turek was a professional wheelchair basketball player winning gold with the US men's team at the 2016 and 2020 Paralympics. In the Iowa House he's focused on disability rights, fighting to pass a bill to allow disabled Iowans to work while on Medicaid. He's also stood up for farmers and their right to repair their own equipment. He's running against Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson. Hinson in Congress has supported Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" and voted against a War Powers act that would have forced Trump to stop his war with Iran.
Maine was the most highly anticipated Senate race going into this cycle. Incumbent Susan Collins is widely understood to be the most at risk Republican incumbent this cycle. For decades Collins ran as a pro-choice Republican only to be the deciding vote for Trump's Supreme Court Justices who overturned Roe V Wade. While Collins makes a show of voting against Trump on key issues it always seems to come right after Senate Republicans already have enough votes to pass it without her. Troy Jackson is the former President of the Maine State Senate, having represented Republican leaning districts in Northern Maine in the State Senate and House. While State Senate President Jackson worked with Governor Mills and State House Democrats to pass laws protecting abortion rights, force insurance companies to cover contraceptives with no out of pocket cost, and ensure free community college for Maine students. If you volunteer to knock doors, who knows you might be knocking with me.
Democratic Senator Gary Peters is retiring setting up a hotly contested open Senate election in one of America's most swingy swing states. Republicans have nominated Trump endorsed former Congressman Mike Rogers. Rogers was also the GOP's 2022 Senate nominee and was endorsed by Trump that time as well. Once a moderate Rogers as embraced Trump's election denial even putting people who took part in Trump's fake electors scheme in leadership roles in his campaign. Rogers has endorsed Trump's tariffs, a trade war with Canada, and Trump's ICE terror immigration policy. Abdul El-Sayed is a long time public health official in the Detroit area. El-Sayed came to national attention for his 2018 Democratic primary campaign for Michigan governor where he centered Medicare for All which is still a centerpiece of his politics in this run for US Senate.
This is an unusual race in normally deep red Nebraska. Union organizer Dan Osborn is running as an Independent candidate but has been endorsed by the Nebraska Democratic Party. Osborn ran for Senate in 2024 making the first competitive Senate election in Republican dominated Nebraska in a generation. Osborn is running on a pro-Union economic populist message that endorses raising the minimum wage, lowering retirement age, and higher taxes for billionaires. Osborn also endorses a "Libertarian" get the government out approach to social issues like abortion. Osborn will face off against incumbent Republican Senator and former Governor Pete Ricketts. Ricketts is a multi-millionaire co-owner of the Chicago Cubs, who was appointed to fill the Senate seat in 2023 in a sweetheart deal appointed immediately after leaving the Governor's office. As governor he's best known for pushing for Nebraska's first execution since 1997. In the Senate the first 3 bills Ricketts sponsored were abortion bans.
Long time Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen is retiring setting up an open Senate seat in New England swing state. Congressman Chris Pappas is running to take Shaheen's place. Since New Hampshire has one of the latest primaries (in September) it's not officially official that Pappas will be the nominee but it looks all but certain. Pappas has represented New Hampshire's Republican leaning sea coast district since 2018. If elected Pappas would be the first openly gay male Senator in American history, and the first person in a same-sex marriage to serve as a Senator. Pappas is running on an aggressive anti-corruption platform to hold Trump and his administration accountable. Former Massachusetts Republican Senator Scott Brown is making his second try to become a Senator from New Hampshire in the GOP Primary. However it's much more likely Former New Hampshire Senator John E. Sununu will be the Republican nominee. Sununu's father and brother were both New Hampshire Governors and John served one term as a Senator back during the Bush Administration.
North Carolina has been a swing state in every Presidential election since 2008 and 4 times its narrowly swung Republican. However this Senate election Democrats are hopeful to finally flip North Carolina blue. Democratic Former Governor Roy Cooper is running for the Senate. Cooper was first elected Governor in 2016 as part of the backlash against North Carolina Republican's bathroom bill which he helped overturn. Cooper fought for years against the Republican majority in the State House to expand Medicaid bring health care to over 600,000 low income North Carolinians. Republican Senator and sometime Trump critic Thom Tillis was basically bullied out of running for re-election by Trump. Trump's hand picked replacement is former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley. Whatley only "qualification" is his support of Trump having never held public office and only ever worked for the Republican Party.
Over the last ten years Ohio has shifted from a swing state to a deep red state. However like in Iowa Trump's disastrous economic policies look like they're unleashing a political earthquake. Democratic Former Senator Sherrod Brown is seeking a political comeback. Brown was Ohio's Senator from 2007 till losing his bid for re-election in 2024. He was considered one of the most progressive Senators even as Ohio became a Red state. Through his whole career from his time in the US House to being a Senator Brown fought for universal healthcare, even refusing the Congressional health plan for decades till average people could get that level of care. Brown was often ranked along side Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren for his progressive stands on the economy and consumer protections. He's running against Republican Former Lt. Governor Jon Husted who was appointed to the seat when JD Vance resigned to become Vice-President.
Usually Republican South Carolina's Senate election has been thrown into chaos by the death of long time Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. Even before Graham's death early polling showed an unusually close race. Democrat Dr. Annie Andrews is a pediatrician who ran against Republican Nancy Mace in 2022. She made the choice to run against Lindsey Graham when he voted to confirm FRK Jr as Health and Human Services Secretary. Healthcare and abortion rights have been major issues for Andrews' campaign. The Republican side has been thrown into a messy emergency primary by the death of Graham who had already won renomination in a normal primary before he died. He was replaced by his sister, Darline Graham, who was endorsed by Trump for the job. Many people did not expect Darline to run for a full term, but she is, and faced half a dozen other Republicans. Darline will face off with long time Republican Congressman Ralph Norman in a run off election who called for martial law in 2021 to stop Joe Biden from taking office.
There was a time that Texas may as well have been a synonym for Red State, but starting in 2018 there has been rumblings of a shift. Democrats have nominated State Representative James Talarico. Talarico has centered his faith for a vision of a compassionate Christianity and progressive values. His idea of a more compassionate society includes expanding health care access, immigration reform, protecting LGBT rights, and even stepping away from Texas' traditional oil and gas only views on energy to help protect the planet. Republicans have nominated the most corrupt politician in America not named Trump, Texas' Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. Paxton narrowly beat being impeached for his corruption by the Republican dominated State Senate. Paxton has also been the subject of a number of criminal investigations. Past his widely understood corruption Paxton is a raving right wing nut, using his office to harass doctors and hospitals in other states over gender-affirmative Care. Paxton also declared he'd defend and try to enforce Taxes anti-gay sex law even though it was ruled unconstitutional in 2003.
Even if You don't live in one of these states, don't think that means you can sit this election out! Where ever you live there are key races, from School Board, City council, County commission, State House, Governor, and US House! Even if your Senate election doesn't look close, you never know, you lose every election you don't run!
AND! almost every single one of these candidates offers options to phonebank or textbank from anywhere in America for them! you can make a difference where ever you are.
and you can send post cards to voters, here's the organizations that do that
Progressive Turnout Project
Center for Common Ground (focusing on the issue of voting rights and black voters
If you plan on post carding, now is the moment, click that link right now and sign up!
And if you're not an American, I'm sorry, do us the favor of reflagging this so more Americans see it? I'll write up a Governor's one soon, good luck, vote, volunteer, fight!
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