Tag: U.S. Senate
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More former members of Congress have announced candidacies for a non-consecutive term in any cycle since 2016
This year, 19 former House members announced candidacies for a non-consecutive term. Three former Senators have announced campaigns for office, meaning a total of 22 former members of Congress have announced candidacies, the highest number in any cycle going back to 2016. The 19 House members are running in 13 states, though two — Rod…
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Rep. Julia Letlow becomes the 15th U.S. House member to run for the U.S. Senate in 2026
Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) announced on Jan. 20, 2026, that she will run to represent Louisiana in the U.S. Senate in 2026 rather than for another term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) is also running in the Republican primary. As of Jan. 20, 2026, independent race forecasters The Cook…
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Rep. Harriet Hageman becomes the 14th U.S. House member to run for U.S. Senate in 2026
Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) announced on Dec. 23, 2025, that she will run for U.S. Senate in 2026 rather than running for another term in the U.S. House of Representatives. The seat is open after incumbent Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R) announced she would not seek re-election. As of Dec. 16, 2025, independent race forecasters The…
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Sen. Cynthia Lummis becomes the ninth U.S. senator to announce she won't seek re-election in 2026
Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) announced on Dec. 19, 2025, that she will not seek re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2026. Lummis posted on X, “Deciding not to run for reelection does represent a change of heart for me, but in the difficult, exhausting session weeks this fall I’ve come to accept that I do…
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Rep. Seth Moulton becomes the 11th U.S. House member who is running for the U.S. Senate in 2026
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) announced on Oct. 15, 2025, that he will run to represent Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate in 2026 rather than for another term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Politico’s Kelly Garrity wrote that “Moulton will challenge Sen. Ed Markey for his Senate seat in 2026, setting up one of the…
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Nine states have changed their recount laws in 2025
In the 2026 midterms, some elections could be decided by thin margins. In 2024, three U.S. Senate races and six U.S. House races were decided by less than one percentage point. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the states that have been updating their recount laws this year. State recount laws differ…
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Michael Waltz confirmed as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Michael Waltz as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations on Sept. 19, 2025. The Senate voted 47-43 in favor of his nomination, with 44 Republicans and three Democrats, Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), voting in favor. There were 41 Democrats who voted against…
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2026 could see the most Senators run again after leaving office since 2012 and 2014
Former U.S. Senator John E. Sununu (R-N.H.) says he is considering running for Senate in New Hampshire in 2026, held by the retiring Jeanne Shaheen (D), who defeated him in 2008. If he were to run, he would have to face another former U.S. Senator, Scott Brown (R-Mass.), who was defeated by Elizabeth Warren (D)…
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Thirty-five members of Congress have announced they will not seek re-election in 2026
Thirty-five members of the U.S. Congress—eight U.S. Senate members and 27 U.S. House members—have announced they will not seek re-election in 2026. Compared to previous election cycles, 35 is the most retirement announcements we have tracked at this point since 2018. Since our Aug. 18 update, six U.S. House members and one U.S. Senate member…
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Senate Republicans invoke nuclear option to change nomination rules
On September 11, 2025, Senate Republicans voted to change chamber rules governing the nomination process for certain types of presidential nominees. The vote was 53-45, along party lines. This procedure, where a majority party changes a Senate rule or precedent through a simple majority vote, is often referred to as the nuclear option or constitutional…