2020 United States Senate elections

Republicans are defending 23 seats in 2020, while Democrats defending 12.[9] Each block represents one of the 100 Senate seats. "D#" is a Democratic senator, "I#" is an Independent senator, and "R#" is a Republican senator. They are arranged so that the parties are separated and a majority is clear by crossing the middle.

Several sites and individuals publish predictions of competitive seats. These predictions look at factors such as the strength of the incumbent (if the incumbent is running for reelection) and the other candidates, and the state's partisan lean (reflected in part by the state's Cook Partisan Voting Index rating). The predictions assign ratings to each seat, indicating the predicted advantage that a party has in winning that seat.

Most election predictors use:

• "tossup": no advantage
• "tilt" (used by some predictors): advantage that is not quite as strong as "lean"
• "lean": slight advantage
• "likely" or "favored": significant, but surmountable, advantage
• "safe" or "solid": near-certain chance of victory

These are the election dates for the regularly scheduled general elections. Bold indicates a future date.

Incumbent Democrat Doug Jones was elected in a special election in 2017, narrowly defeating Republican nominee Roy Moore. Jones is running for his first full term as a senator.[136][137]

Former senator and attorney general Jeff Sessions and former Auburn University football head coach Tommy Tuberville advanced in the Republican primary on March 3 and will face each other in a runoff on July 14. Sessions occupied the seat until 2017, when he resigned to become attorney general in the Trump administration.

Defeated in the primary were 2017 Republican nominee Roy Moore, evangelist Stanley Adair,[138] Representative Bradley Byrne,[139] state representative Arnold Mooney,[140] and community activist Ruth Page Nelson.[141]

Alabama is one of the country's most Republican states and Jones's win was in part due to sexual assault allegations against his Republican opponent, Roy Moore. Most analysts expect this seat to flip back to GOP control. Jones will face much stronger opposition this time around, facing either former Auburn Head Coach Tommy Tuberville or former senator Jeff Sessions, depending on who wins the Republican runoff primary. Many in the Democratic establishment see Jones's seat as a lost cause and he has struggled to raise money.[142]

One-term incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan was elected in 2014, defeating incumbent Democrat Mark Begich. He is running for a second term.[143]

Potential Democratic candidates include Begich, who was the Democratic nominee for governor of Alaska in 2018, and Anchorage mayor Ethan Berkowitz, who was the Democratic nominee for governor of Alaska in 2010. No Democrat has filed yet, with the filing deadline being June 1.

On July 2, 2019, Al Gross, an orthopedic surgeon and fisherman, declared his candidacy as an Independent.[144]

Republican senator John McCain was elected to a sixth term in 2016, but died in office in August 2018.[145] Republican governor Doug Ducey appointed former senator Jon Kyl to fill McCain's seat for the remainder of the 115th United States Congress.[146] After the end of the 115th Congress, Ducey appointed outgoing U.S. Representative and 2018 Republican Senate nominee Martha McSally as Kyl's successor for the 116th Congress.[147] McSally is running in the 2020 special election to fill the remainder of the term, which expires in 2022.[148]

Retired astronaut Mark Kelly is running for the Democratic nomination.[149]

Once a solidly Republican state, Arizona has trended more purple in recent years. Incumbent Republican Martha McSally was appointed to the seat of the late John McCain two months after losing the 2018 Arizona U.S. Senate election to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema. Her Democratic opponent, astronaut Mark Kelly (who is married to former Representative Gabrielle Giffords), has raised significantly more money and leads her by 5-15 points in polling. McSally is also suffering from low approval ratings due to her strong allegiance to Trump, who is unpopular in Arizona despite winning the state by 3.5 points in 2016.[150]

One-term incumbent Republican Tom Cotton was elected in 2014 after serving two years in the United States House of Representatives, defeating incumbent Democratic senator Mark Pryor by a comfortable margin. Cotton is seeking a second term.[151]

Joshua Mahony, a nonprofit executive and 2018 Democratic nominee for Congress in Arkansas's 3rd congressional district, filed to run for the Democratic nomination,[152] but dropped out just after the filing deadline.[153] No other Democrats filed within the filing deadline.

Christian missionary Ricky Dale Harrington, Jr., is running as a Libertarian,[154] and progressive activist Dan Whitfield is running as an independent.[155]

One-term incumbent Republican Cory Gardner was elected in 2014 after serving four years in the United States House of Representatives, narrowly defeating one-term incumbent Mark Udall. Gardner is seeking reelection in 2020.[156]

Announced Democratic candidates include former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper and former state House speaker Andrew Romanoff.

John Hickenlooper is most likely to be the Democratic challenger to one-term Republican incumbent Cory Gardner, and leads Gardner by 10-20 points in the polls, with many pundits already considering him a favorite to win. Gardner is Colorado's only Republican statewide officeholder, and the once purple state has trended increasingly Democratic since Gardner's narrow win in 2014. Gardner also has low approval ratings due to his strong allegiance to Donald Trump, who is unpopular in Colorado. Hickenlooper has also raised significantly more money than Gardner.[157]

One-term incumbent Democrat Chris Coons was reelected in 2014; Coons first took office after winning a 2010 special election, which occurred after longtime senator Joe Biden resigned his seat to become vice president of the United States.

Conservative activist Lauren Witzke and attorney Jim DeMartino are running for the Republican nomination to take on Sen. Coons.

Due to the resignation of Republican senator Johnny Isakson at the end of 2019, both of Georgia's seats will be up for election this year. While the state overall still leans Republican, increased support for Democrats in Atlanta's suburbs has made the state more competitive, with a close governor's race, multiple close U.S. House races, and many other close local office races resulting in Democratic gains in 2018. Both elections are seen competitive after the incumbent of the regular election Republican David Perdue, will face Jon Ossoff who won name recognizion after losing the most expensive house race in US history. Unlike the regular election, the special election is being conducted as a jungle primary: all candidates are listed on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation, and if no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, the top two will advance to a runoff on January 5, 2021. As in the regular election, there is a crowded field of Democratic candidates, but there is also a bitter contest on the Republican side between incumbent Kelly Loeffler, a businesswoman appointed to the seat after Isakson's resignation, and Doug Collins, a well-known U.S. Representative. Collins leads Loeffler in the polls due to allegations of insider trading against Loeffler.[158]

Two-term incumbent Republican Jim Risch was easily reelected in 2014. On August 13, 2019, he announced that he would seek a third term.[174] Former gubernatorial nominee Paulette Jordan won the Democratic nomination in a primary against retired cop Jim Vandermaas.

Four-term incumbent Democrat Dick Durbin, the Senate Minority Whip, was reelected in 2014 and is seeking a fifth term.[175]

Mark Curran, who served as the Sheriff of Lake County from 2006 to 2018, won the Republican primary with 41.55% of the vote and will face Durbin in the general election.[176]

Antiwar activist Marilyn Jordan Lawlor[177] and State representative Anne Stava-Murray[178] were going to challenge Durbin in the Democratic primary, but both withdrew.[179][180]

Republicans who ran include businessman Casey Chlebek,[181] U.S. Navy veteran and former police officer Peggy Hubbard,[182] Vietnam War veteran, physician, and 2018 Democratic primary candidate for governor of Illinois Robert Marshall,[183][184] Omeed Memar,[185] a dermatologist convicted of health care fraud in 2018,[186] Preston Gabriel Nelson,[187] Dean Seppelfrick,[188] and Tom Tarter.[189]

One-term incumbent Republican Joni Ernst was elected in 2014 after serving four years in the state Senate. She is seeking a second term.[190]

Democrats in the primary included former Vice-Admiral Michael T. Franken, attorney Kimberly Graham and businessman Eddie Mauro. Real estate broker Theresa Greenfield won the nomination.

Republican incumbent Joni Ernst has lost popularity due to her strong support for Trump and for trade tariffs that are unpopular among Iowa farmers. But Democrats have had a hard time winning statewide in Iowa in recent years, narrowly losing the governor's election in 2018. Trump won the state by 9 points in 2016 after Barack Obama carried it in both 2008 and 2012. Democrats do hold three of Iowa's four congressional seats, picking up two of them in 2018. Theresa Greenfield, a first-time candidate backed by the Democratic establishment, is the Democratic nominee, defeating admiral Michael Franken, attorney Kimberly Graham, and businessman Eddie Mauro in the primary. Greenfield and Ernst are polling neck-and-neck in the general election, but Greenfield lacks name recognition, despite raising more money than Ernst.[191]

Four-term incumbent Republican Pat Roberts is retiring and will not run for reelection.

Former secretary of state Kris Kobach,[192] state Turnpike Authority chairman (and former Kansas City Chief defensive end) Dave Lindstrom,[193] U.S. Representative Roger Marshall, plumber/businessman Bob Hamilton, Kansas Board of Education member Steve Roberts,[194] state senate president Susan Wagle, and Republican socialist Brian Matlock have all announced their candidacies.[195] Wagle has since withdrawn.

Other potential candidates (who ultimately did not run) included state attorney general Derek Schmidt and wealthy businessman and former 2018 lieutenant governor nominee Wink Hartman.

Kansas state treasurer Jake LaTurner[196] previously sought the nomination, but announced on September 3, 2019 that he was dropping out of the Senate race to run for the U.S. House of Representatives.[197]

There was considerable speculation about a Senate bid by Mike Pompeo (the United States Secretary of State, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and former U.S. Representative for Kansas's 4th congressional district), but he opted not to run.[198][199]

Among Democrats, former Republican turned Democratic state senator Barbara Bollier is running,[200] as is Robert Tillman, nominee for Kansas's 4th congressional district in 2012 and candidate in 2016 and 2017.[201]

Former congressional candidate Brent Welder is also considered a potential candidate for the Democratic nomination.[202]

Former U.S. attorney Barry Grissom,[203] mayor of Manhattan Usha Reddi,[204] and former congresswoman Nancy Boyda[205] announced runs, but withdrew before the primary. Former governor Kathleen Sebelius declined to run.

The likely Democratic nominee is state senator Barbara Bollier, who was a Republican until 2018. The Republican primary's front-runners are former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and Congressman Roger Marshall. If Marshall wins the primary, he is expected to defeat Bollier as Kansas is a reliably Republican state. But if Kobach wins the primary, he is polling neck-and-neck with Bollier, as he is a controversial figure who lost the 2018 Kansas gubernatorial election to Democrat Laura Kelly. Marshall and Kobach are polling neck-and-neck.[206]

Six-term incumbent and Senate majority leader Republican Mitch McConnell was reelected by a comfortable margin in 2014 and is seeking a seventh term.

Most pundits see this as a likely Republican hold due to incumbent Republican Mitch McConnell's large amount of reelection campaign funds, but he is one of the country's most unpopular senators, and his likely Democratic opponent, former Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath, has been a strong fundraiser and trails McConnell only by single digits in polling. McConnell has proven to be a tough campaigner, however, and Kentucky is one of the most Republican states in the country. Democrat Andy Beshear narrowly won the Kentucky governor's race in 2019, unseating a similarly unpopular Republican incumbent.[207]

Mary Ann Tobin, filed papers to run for the U.S. Senate on January 10, 2020. She is the former Kentucky Auditor of Public Accounts and a state legislator.[208]

Amy McGrath announced her candidacy on July 9, 2019.[209] She is a former Marine and Navy fighter pilot who ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2018 against incumbent Representative Andy Barr.

Charles Booker, a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives[210] and Kentucky's youngest black state lawmaker,[211] entered the Senate race on January 5, 2020.[212]

Other candidates for the Democratic nomination include Jimmy Ausbrooks, a mental health counselor,[213] Mike Broihier, farmer and former U.S. Marine,[214] Andrew Maynard,[215] John R. Sharpensteen[215] and Bennie J. Smith, local business owner.[216] Other potential Democratic candidates included state representative Rocky Adkins.[217] Steven Cox, a registered pharmacy technician,[218] has dropped out and endorsed Booker.[219]

One-term incumbent Republican Bill Cassidy was elected in 2014 after serving six years in the United States House of Representatives, defeating three-term incumbent Mary Landrieu. He is running for reelection.[220]

A jungle primary will be held on November 3, 2020; if no candidate wins a majority of the vote in the primary, a runoff election will be held.

Four-term incumbent Republican Susan Collins was reelected by a wide margin in 2014. She is seeking a fifth term.[221]

Democrats running include state House speaker Sara Gideon,[222] attorney Bre Kidman,[223] and activist and 2018 gubernatorial candidate Betsy Sweet.[224]

Collins is polling neck-and-neck with or slightly behind her likely Democratic challenger, Sara Gideon. Collins has never faced a competitive election during her 24 years in the Senate even though Maine leans Democratic, as she has projected a centrist image. But she faces growing unpopularity due to her increasingly conservative voting record and her votes to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court and to acquit Trump. Gideon raised over three times as much money as Collins in the first quarter of 2020.[225]

One-term incumbent Democrat Ed Markey was reelected in 2014; Markey won a 2013 special election to replace longtime incumbent John Kerry, who resigned from the Senate to become U.S. Secretary of State. He is running for a second term.[226]

Joe Kennedy III, four-term U.S. representative for Massachusetts's Fourth District and grandson of former U.S. senator and U.S. attorney general Robert F. Kennedy, is challenging Markey for the Democratic nomination.[227]

Noted conspiracy theorist Shiva Ayyadurai, an independent candidate for U.S. Senate in 2018, and attorney Kevin O'Connor are seeking the Republican nomination.[228][229]

One-term incumbent Democrat Gary Peters was elected in 2014 after serving six years in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is seeking a second term.[230]

2018 Senate nominee John James has declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination.[231] He faced token opposition for the Republican nomination from perennial candidate Bob Carr.[232]

Michigan is one of the most competitive states in national elections, and incumbent Democrat Gary Peters is running for a second term. He will face Republican Iraq War veteran John James, who came unexpectedly close to unseating Michigan's other Democratic senator, Debbie Stabenow, in 2018. Stabenow is a longtime senator whose name recognition Peters lacks, but Republicans are growing more unpopular in Michigan after the state narrowly voted for Trump in 2016, then switched back to Democrats in all statewide races in 2018. Peters leads James by 8-12 points in the polls.[233]

Incumbent Democrat Tina Smith was appointed to the U.S. Senate to replace Al Franken in 2018 after serving as lieutenant governor, and won a special election later in 2018 to serve the remainder of Franken's term. She is seeking a full term in 2020.[234]

2018 Senate candidate Steve Carlson, 2018 Green Party Senate candidate Paula Overby and minor candidates Ahmad Hassan and Christopher Seymore are running for the Democratic nomination against the seat's current incumbent. Minor candidates W.D. "Bill" Hamm and Alexandra Marie Holker also challenged Smith in the Democratic primary.

Former congressman Jason Lewis is running for the Republican nomination.[235] He was opposed by Rob Barrett Jr., assistant professor at North Central University, activist Christopher Chamberlin, and minor candidates Forest Hyatt and Theron Preston Washington. He remains opposed by minor candidates John Berman, Bob Carney and James Reibestein.

After seven-term incumbent Republican senator Thad Cochran resigned in April 2018, Republican governor Phil Bryant appointed state agriculture commissioner Cindy Hyde-Smith to succeed him until a special election could be held later in the year. Hyde-Smith won the November 2018 special election to fill the remainder of Cochran's term, which ends in January 2021. Hyde-Smith is running for a full term.[236] She was unopposed in the Republican primary.

Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and 2018 Senate candidate Mike Espy won the Democratic primary with 93.1% of the vote.[237]

Libertarian candidate Jimmy Edwards also made the general election ballot.

One-term incumbent Republican Steve Daines was elected in 2014 after serving two years in the United States House of Representatives. He is seeking a second term.[238]

Daines was opposed (prior to his nomination) in the Republican primary by hardware store manager Daniel Larson and former Democratic speaker of the Montana House of Representatives John Driscoll.

Incumbent Governor Steve Bullock won the Democratic nomination,[239] having competed in the primary against nuclear engineer and U.S. Navy veteran John Mues.[240]

Libertarian and Green party candidates will also appear on the general election ballot.

Once seen as likely to remain in Republican hands, incumbent Steve Daines's seat is now competitive due to the last-minute entry of popular Democratic governor Steve Bullock. Bullock leads Daines by single digits in the most recent polling and Bullock has also raised more money than Daines. But Montana is expected to be safely Republican in the presidential election, meaning that Bullock is relying on Montana's history of ticket splitting, as he did in 2016 when he was reelected to a second gubernatorial term by 4 points despite Trump winning the state by 20 points. Montana also reelected Jon Tester, a Democrat, to the Senate in 2018, by 4 points. Daines was elected to a first term by a comfortable margin in 2014.[241]

One-term incumbent Republican Ben Sasse was elected in 2014 after serving as the president of Midland University. He is seeking a second term.[242]

Sasse defeated businessman and former Lancaster County Republican Party chair Matt Innis in the Republican primary with 75.2% of the vote.

Businessman and 2018 U.S. Senate candidate Chris Janicek won the Democratic primary with 30.7% of the vote, defeating six other candidates.

Libertarian candidate Gene Siadek will also appear on the general election ballot.

Two-term incumbent Democrat Jeanne Shaheen was narrowly reelected in 2014. She is seeking a third term.[243]

Former U.S. Army brigadier general Donald C. Bolduc, perennial candidate Andy Martin, and attorney Corky Messner are running for the Republican nomination.[244][245][246]

Libertarian Justin O'Donnell will appear on the general election ballot.[247]

One-term incumbent Democrat Cory Booker was reelected in 2014; Booker first took office by winning a 2013 special election after serving seven years as mayor of Newark. Booker sought his party's nomination for President of the United States in 2020. Although the state allows him to simultaneously run for both president and for the U.S. Senate, Booker suspended his presidential campaign on January 13, 2020, and confirmed his intention to seek a second Senate term.[248]

Republican candidates are pharmacist, Georgetown University law professor, and attorney Rik Mehta, engineer Hirsh Singh, 2018 Independent U.S. Senate Candidate Tricia Flanagan, 2018 Independent U.S. Senate Candidate Natalie Lynn Rivera, and Eugene Anagnos.

Green Party candidate Madelyn Hoffman and two Independent candidates will also appear on the general election ballot.

Two-term Democrat Tom Udall is the only incumbent Democratic U.S. senator retiring in 2020.[249]

U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján[250] was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

Among Republicans, former U.S. Interior Department official Gavin Clarkson and executive director for the New Mexico Alliance for Life Elisa Martinez ran. They lost in the primary to former KRQE chief meteorologist Mark Ronchetti.[251][252][253]

Libertarian Bob Walsh will appear on the general election ballot.

One-term incumbent Republican Thom Tillis was elected in 2014 after serving eight years in the state House of Representatives, narrowly defeating one-term Democratic incumbent Kay Hagan. He faced a primary challenge from three different candidates.

State senator Erica D. Smith, Mecklenburg County commissioner Trevor Fuller, and former state senator Cal Cunningham ran for the Democratic nomination.

On March 3, 2020, Tillis and Cunningham won their parties' primaries.[254]

The Libertarian Party and the Constitution Party have candidates on the general election ballot.

Incumbent Republican Thom Tillis was narrowly elected to a first term in 2014, but has grown unpopular among both centrist and conservative Republicans due to his inconsistent support of Trump. Tillis also suffers from low name recognition. North Carolina is also trending more purple, electing a Democratic governor in 2016. Tillis will face Democrat Cal Cunningham in the general election. Cunningham leads slightly in the polls.[255]

Four-term incumbent Republican Jim Inhofe was easily reelected in 2014. He is seeking a fifth term.

J.J. Stitt, a farmer and gun shop owner, Neil Mavis, a former Libertarian Party candidate, and John Tompkins are challenging Inhofe for the Republican nomination.[256]

Democrats in the race include attorney Abby Broyles, perennial candidate Sheila Bilyeu, 2018 5th congressional district candidate Elysabeth Britt, and R.O. Joe Cassity Jr.

Libertarian candidate Robert Murphy and two Independents will also appear on the general election ballot.

Two-term incumbent Democrat Jeff Merkley was reelected by a comfortable margin in 2014. Merkley, who was considered a possible 2020 presidential candidate, is instead seeking a third Senate term and was unopposed in the Democratic primary.[257]

2014 U.S. Senate and 2018 U.S. House candidate Jo Rae Perkins is the Republican nominee, defeating three other candidates with 49.29% of the vote. She is a supporter of the QAnon conspiracy theory.[258]

Green Party candidate Ibrahim Taher will also be on the general election ballot.

Four-term incumbent Democrat Jack Reed was easily reelected in 2014. Reed is seeking a fifth term and was unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Investment consultant Allen Waters was unopposed for the Republican nomination.

No third party candidates filed for the election.

Three-term incumbent Republican Lindsey Graham was reelected in 2014 and is seeking a fourth term. He defeated three opponents in the Republican primary held on June 9, 2020.[259]

Former South Carolina Democratic Party chairman Jaime Harrison is unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

The Libertarian Party and Constitution Party will also field a candidate for the general election and one Independent candidate is also running.

One-term incumbent Republican Mike Rounds was elected in 2014 after serving two terms as the governor of South Dakota. He faced a primary challenge from state representative Scyller Borglum.[260]

Former South Dakota State Representative Dan Ahlers was unopposed in the Democratic primary.[261]

One independent candidate, Clayton Walker, is also running.[122]

Three-term incumbent Republican Lamar Alexander was reelected in 2014. He announced in December 2018 that he would not seek a fourth term.[262]

Among Republicans, orthopedic surgeon Manny Sethi has announced his candidacy,[263] as has former Ambassador to Japan William F. Hagerty.[264] President Trump has endorsed Hagerty.[265] 13 other Republicans are also running for the nomination.

James Mackler, an Iraq War veteran and Nashville attorney, has announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination. Four other Democrats are also running for the nomination.

Nine Independent candidates will also appear on the general election ballot.

Three-term incumbent Republican John Cornyn was reelected in 2014 by a wide margin and is seeking a fourth term.[266]

Cornyn defeated four other candidates in the Republican primary with 76.04% of the vote.

Democrats MJ Hegar, an Air Force combat veteran who was the 2018 Democratic nominee for Texas's 31st congressional district,[267] and state senator Royce West were the top two vote getters in a field of 13 candidates in the Democratic primary, and have advanced to a primary runoff election on July 14, 2020 to decide who will be the Democratic nominee.

The Libertarian Party, Human Rights Party, and People over Politics Party will also appear on the general election ballot, alongside four Independent candidates.

Two-term incumbent Democrat Mark Warner was reelected by a very narrow margin in 2014 after winning easily in 2008. He is seeking a third term and is unopposed in the Democratic primary.[268]

Republicans in the race include teacher Allisa Baldwin,[269] professor and U.S. Army veteran Daniel Gade,[270] and U.S. Army veteran and intelligence officer Thomas Speciale.[271]

Two independent candidates will also appear on the general election ballot.

One-term incumbent Republican Shelley Moore Capito was easily elected after serving 14 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is being challenged in the Republican primary by farmer Larry Butcher, and Allen Whitt, president of the West Virginia Family Policy Council.[272]

Environmental activist Paula Jean Swearengin, a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2018,[273] won the Democratic primary, beating former mayor of South Charleston Richie Robb and former state senator Richard Ojeda, a nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives in West Virginia's 3rd congressional district in 2018 and briefly a 2020 presidential candidate. Independent candidate Franklin Riley will also appear on the general election ballot.

Four-term incumbent Republican Mike Enzi was reelected in 2014, and announced in May 2019 that he will retire.

Announced Republican candidates include former congresswoman Cynthia Lummis.[274] 8 other candidates have filed for the Republican nomination.

Chuck Jagoda, a teacher,[275] announced a run but withdrew before the primary.[135] Yana Ludwig, an activist and community organizer,[276] Merav Ben-David, a University of Wyoming ecology professor, think tank executive Nathan Wendt, perennial candidates Rex Wilde and Kenneth R. Casner, and James DeBrine are seeking the Democratic nomination.

• 2020 United States elections
• 2020 United States House of Representatives elections
• 2020 United States presidential election
• 2020 United States gubernatorial elections