General elections for the Wisconsin Senate took place on November 3, 2026.

Following the election, Democrats gained a majority. Click here for detailed results.

Heading into the election, Republicans had an 18-15 majority. Seventeen districts were up for election in 2026. Democrats needed to win at least two Republican districts, while maintaining their own, to gain a majority in the Senate. Republicans could lose no more than one district to maintain their majority. Republicans held a majority since 2011.

Wisconsin Senate elections are staggered and only half the chamber is up for election every two years. As a result, this was the first time this set of seats was up for election since Wisconsin redrew its legislative maps in 2024. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ordered the state to draw new maps in a 4-3 decision on December 22, 2023. In the 2024 elections, Democrats gained four seats in the state Senate and 10 seats in the state House.

Wisconsin had a divided government, with Republicans holding majorities in both legislative chambers and Tony Evers (D) serving as governor. Because Democrats won a majority in the Assembly and the Senate, and maintained the governorship, they gained a Democratic trifecta. If Republicans had maintained majorities in both legislative chambers and won the governorship, they would have gained a Republican trifecta. If neither party had won control of the legislature and governorship, Wisconsin would have remained divided.

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) targeted five Senate districts, including one that Democrats already held. The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) included Wisconsin in its Top Defensive Battleground Chambers list and targeted three Senate districts, all of which Republicans already held.

Ballotpedia considered six Senate districts to be battlegrounds. These included districts that had a margin of victory within five percentage points in 2024, DLCC and RSLC targets, and districts with an election forecast rating of Toss-up, Lean D/R, or Tilt D/R. Democrats represented one battleground and Republicans represented five. Four districts were open, while the other two districts had an incumbent running. To read more about these districts, click here.

The Wisconsin Senate was one of 88 state legislative chambers with elections in 2026. The primary was on August 11, 2026.