After a string of high-profile victories on Tuesday, former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said she is increasingly optimistic about Democrats reclaiming control of the Senate in the 2026 midterms.
“We didn’t think the Senate was going to be in play next year,” McCaskill said Tuesday on MSNBC. “I think after tonight, the Senate’s definitely in play.”
Election Day delivered wins for Democrats in key races across the country. Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill captured gubernatorial victories in Virginia and New Jersey, while progressive Zohran Mamdani was elected the next mayor of New York City.
California voters also backed Proposition 50, a redistricting measure supported by Gov. Gavin Newsom, passing with more than 63 percent of the vote. Starting next year, the Golden State will adopt congressional maps drawn by the Democratic-controlled state Legislature, a shift that could strengthen Democratic prospects through 2030.
Those results are energizing Democrats as they look ahead to a midterm election where 35 Senate seats will be up for grabs. Of those, 22 are held by Republicans and 13 by Democrats. With the GOP currently holding a 53-47 majority, flipping just four seats would give Democrats control of the chamber.
“Unless Donald Trump turns into a different person tomorrow, I think this trend will continue,” McCaskill said.
Battlegrounds include Georgia, Michigan, Maine, and North Carolina, all considered toss-ups by the Cook Political Report. New Hampshire and Ohio are rated as Democratic and Republican-leaning, respectively. McCaskill specifically noted former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown as Democratic candidates who are “very happy” with Tuesday’s results.
Despite ideological differences, Spanberger, Sherrill, and Mamdani all ran on affordability, a message Democrats believe can resonate nationwide.
“It’s not about those labels, labels are completely broken,” Sydney Register, press secretary at the Progressive Campaign Chance Committee, told The Hill on Wednesday. “It’s about choosing to run on affordability and having an inspiring vision behind that.”
Tuesday’s results suggest a political landscape in flux. For Democrats, what once seemed like a long shot—the Senate majority—now looks firmly within reach.
