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These Senate seats are up for election in 2020

Senators Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham and Thom Tillis
Photo: Getty Images

There are 34 Senate seats up for election in 2020 — including a special election in Arizona — many of which are expected to be brutally competitive as Democrats vie for control of the Senate.

Quick take: The U.S. Senate is currently made up of 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats and 2 independents who caucus with the Democrats. Dems must win 3 or 4 seats to take control of the Senate — 4 to recapture control — or 3, if they also win the vice presidency.

  • Some of the fiercest races will come from Virginia, North Carolina and New Hampshire, according to a late 2018 analysis from FiveThirtyEight.
  • Republican senators representing left-leaning states — Susan Collins (R-Maine), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) — are considered among the Democrats’ clearest 2020 targets.
  • As Democrats from Trump-won states — Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) — are also vulnerable.
  • Some of the notable seats include Sen. Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) and Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-S.C.).

Driving the news: 2018 gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams announced on Tuesday that she would not be vying for a Georgia Senate seat in 2020. Also this week, Rep. Cindy Axne of Iowa and Rep. Joaquin Castro in Texas turned down chances to challenge Republicans standing re-election in 2020.

Republicans:

  • Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)
  • Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
  • Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)
  • Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) — Alexander announced he is retiring in 2020
  • Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.)
  • Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine)
  • Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.)
  • Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas)
  • Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.)
  • Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mt.)
  • Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) - Enzi announced he is retiring in 2020.
  • Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)
  • Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.)
  • Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.)
  • Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.)
  • Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.)
  • Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.)
  • Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho)
  • Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) — Roberts is retiring in 2020
  • Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S. D.)
  • Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.)
  • Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska)

Democrats:

  • Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) — Booker is running for president in 2020
  • Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.)
  • Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)
  • Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.)
  • Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.)
  • Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.)
  • Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.)
  • Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.)
  • Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)
  • Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.)
  • Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) — Udall announced he is retiring in 2020
  • Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.)

Go deeper: 2020 presidential election: Track which candidates are running

2020 elections