2020 United States Senate elections

2020 United States Senate elections

← 2018 November 3, 2020 January 5, 2021 (Georgia runoffs) 2022 →
35 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate 51[a] seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Chuck Schumer Mitch McConnell Party Democratic Republican Leader since January 3, 2017 January 3, 2007 Leader's seat New York Kentucky Seats before 45 53 Seats after 48[b] 50[b] Seat change 3 3 Popular vote 41,958,212[c] 44,106,711[c] Percentage 48.3% 50.8% Swing 9.9% 12.1% Seats up 12 23 Races won 15 20   Third party   Party Independent Seats before 2[d] Seats after 2 Seat change Seats up 0 Races won 0
Results of the elections:      Democratic gain      Republican gain      Democratic hold      Republican hold      No election Rectangular inset (Georgia): both seats up for election
Majority Leader before election Mitch McConnell Republican Elected Majority Leader TBD

The 2020 United States Senate elections were held on November 3, 2020,^[1] with the 33 class 2 seats of the Senate contested in regular elections.^[2] Of these, 21 were held by Republicans and 12 by Democrats. The winners were elected to six-year terms from January 3, 2021, to January 3, 2027.^[3] Two special elections for seats held by Republicans were also held in conjunction with the general elections, with one in Arizona to fill the vacancy created by John McCain's death in 2018 and one in Georgia following Johnny Isakson's resignation in 2019.^[4][5] In both races, the appointed Republican lost to a Democrat.^[6][7]

In the 2014 United States Senate elections, the last regularly scheduled elections for class 2 Senate seats, the Republicans won nine seats from the Democrats and gained a majority,^[8] which they continued to hold after the 2016 and 2018 elections.^[9][10] Before the elections, Republicans held 53 seats, Democrats held 45 seats, and independents caucusing with the Democrats held two seats, which were not up for reelection.^[11] Including the special elections in Arizona and Georgia, Republicans defended 23 seats and the Democrats 12.^[12]

Democrats needed a net gain of four seats or three and the vice presidency to gain a majority,^[a][13] which they will have upon Kamala Harris's inauguration as vice president on January 20. Despite record-breaking turnout and fundraising efforts, Democrats underperformed expectations on election night. They only flipped seats in Arizona and Colorado while failing to flip other seats in races that were considered competitive, and they also lost a seat in Alabama.^[6][14] Except in Maine, the winning party in every Senate election was the winning party in the state's presidential election.^[15]

Due to election laws in Georgia that require candidates to win at least 50% of the vote in the general election, both races advanced to runoff elections on January 5, 2021.^[16] Democrats ultimately won both seats,^[7] and the partisan balance in the Senate was tied for the first time since 2001.^[17] Vice President-elect Harris's tie-breaking vote will give Democrats control of the chamber by the smallest margin possible after the new administration takes office.^[18]

Election summary

Change in composition

Republicans defended 23 seats while Democrats defended 12.^[12] 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.

Before the elections

Each block indicates an incumbent senator's actions going into the election. Both Independents caucus with the Democrats.

After the elections

Final pre-election predictions

Several sites and individuals published predictions of competitive seats. These predictions looked at factors such as the strength of the incumbent (if the incumbent was 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 assigned ratings to each seat, indicating the predicted advantage that a party had in winning that seat. Most election predictors used:

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

Election dates

Race summary

Special elections during the preceding Congress

In each special election, the winner's term begins immediately after their election is certified by their state's government.

Elections are sorted by date then state.

Elections leading to the next Congress

In each general election, the winner is elected for the term beginning January 3, 2021.

Closest races

12 races had a margin of victory under 10%:

Alabama

Alabama election

←  2017 (Special) 2026 →

Nominee Tommy Tuberville Doug Jones Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,392,076 920,478 Percentage 60.1% 39.7%

U.S. senator before election Doug Jones Democratic Elected U.S. senator Tommy Tuberville Republican

Incumbent Democrat Doug Jones was elected in a special election in 2017, narrowly defeating Republican nominee Roy Moore.^[82][83] He ran for a full term in 2020, losing to Republican Tommy Tuberville in a landslide.

Tuberville is a former football head coach for Auburn University. He defeated former senator and attorney general Jeff Sessions in a July 14 runoff to secure the Republican nomination, after securing President Donald Trump's endorsement. Sessions occupied the seat until 2017 when he resigned to become attorney general in the Trump administration.

Alabama is one of the country's most Republican states, and Jones's win was in part due to sexual assault allegations against nominee Roy Moore during the special election; most analysts expected the seat to flip back to GOP control. Tuberville defeated Jones by more than 20 percentage points.^[84]

Alaska

Alaska election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Dan Sullivan Al Gross[aa] Party Republican Independent Popular vote 191,112 146,068 Percentage 53.90% 41.19%

U.S. senator before election Dan Sullivan Republican Elected U.S. senator Dan Sullivan Republican

One-term Republican Dan Sullivan was elected in 2014, defeating incumbent Democrat Mark Begich. He defeated independent challenger Al Gross to win a second term in office.^[85]

Potential Democratic candidates included 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. One Democrat, Edgar Blatchford, filed to run by the June 1 filing deadline.^[86]

Gross, an orthopedic surgeon and fisherman, declared his candidacy on July 2, 2019. as an Independent.^[87] He participated in a joint primary for the Alaska Democratic Party, Alaska Libertarian Party and Alaskan Independence Party, winning the nomination as an independent supported by the Democratic Party.

Most people though that it could be close, but Sullivan defeated Gross by 13.7 percentage points.^[88]

Arizona (special)

Arizona special election

←  2016 2022 →

Nominee Mark Kelly Martha McSally Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,716,467 1,637,661 Percentage 51.2% 48.8%

U.S. senator before election Martha McSally Republican Elected U.S. senator Mark Kelly Democratic

Six-term Republican John McCain was reelected in 2016 but died in office on August 25, 2018.^[89] Republican governor Doug Ducey appointed former senator Jon Kyl to fill the seat temporarily.^[90] After Kyl stepped down at the end of the year, Ducey appointed outgoing U.S. Representative Martha McSally to replace him after she lost the election to the other Arizona senate seat.^[91] McSally ran in the 2020 special election to fill the remaining two years of the term,^[92] losing to Democrat Mark Kelly, a former astronaut.

Once a solidly Republican state, Arizona trended more purple in the late 2010s. Incumbent Republican Martha McSally was appointed to the late John McCain's seat two months after losing the 2018 Arizona U.S. Senate election to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema. Her Democratic opponent, astronaut Mark Kelly, raised significantly more money and generally led her by 5 to 15 points in the polling. McSally also suffered from low approval ratings due to her strong allegiance to Trump, who was unpopular in Arizona despite having won the state by 3.5 points in 2016.^[93]

Arkansas

Arkansas election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Tom Cotton Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. Party Republican Libertarian Popular vote 793,871 399,390 Percentage 66.5% 33.5%

U.S. senator before election Tom Cotton Republican Elected U.S. senator Tom Cotton Republican

One-term 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 was reelected to a second term by a 33-point margin, defeating Libertarian Ricky Dale Harrington Jr^[94][95][96]

Joshua Mahony, a nonprofit executive and 2018 Democratic nominee for Congress in Arkansas's 3rd congressional district, filed to run for the Democratic nomination,^[97] but dropped out just after the filing deadline.^[98] No other Democrats filed within the filing deadline. Progressive activist Dan Whitfield ran as an independent but suspended his campaign on October 1, 2020, after failing to qualify for the ballot.^[99]

Colorado

Colorado election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee John Hickenlooper Cory Gardner Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,731,114 1,429,492 Percentage 53.5% 44.2%

U.S. senator before election Cory Gardner Republican Elected U.S. senator John Hickenlooper Democratic

One-term Republican Cory Gardner was elected in 2014 after serving four years in the United States House of Representatives, narrowly defeating one-term Democrat Mark Udall. Gardner sought a second term but lost to Democrat John Hickenlooper by 9.3 percentage points.^[100]

Hickenlooper is a popular former governor of Colorado, and led Gardner by as much as 20 percentage points in polls, with most pundits considering him a heavy favorite. Gardner was Colorado's only Republican statewide officeholder, and the once purple state has trended increasingly Democratic since his narrow win in 2014. Gardner also had low approval ratings due to his strong allegiance to Trump, who lost Colorado in 2016 to Hillary Clinton by 4.9%, and in 2020 to Joe Biden by 13.5%.^[101][102] Hickenlooper also raised significantly more money than Gardner.^[103]

Delaware

Delaware election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Chris Coons Lauren Witzke Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 291,804 186,054 Percentage 59.4% 37.9%

U.S. senator before election Chris Coons Democratic Elected U.S. senator Chris Coons Democratic

One-term Democrat Chris Coons was reelected in 2014; he first took office after winning a 2010 special election, which occurred after longtime senator Joe Biden resigned to become vice president of the United States (Biden also won the 2020 presidential election and is now president-elect). He faced an unsuccessful primary challenge from technology executive Jessica Scarane. Conservative activist Lauren Witzke and attorney Jim DeMartino ran for the Republican nomination.

The Delaware primary was held on September 15, 2020.^[104]

Georgia

Due to Republican Senator Johnny Isakson's resignation from office for health reasons in 2019, both of Georgia's Senate seats were up for election in November 2020.^[105] The state had tilted Republican in Senate races since the mid-1990s, but increased support for Democrats in populous suburbs has made office elections more competitive; a close governor's race, multiple close U.S. House races, and many other close local office races resulted in Democratic gains in 2018 elections. Both the regular and special election were considered highly competitive toss-ups.^[106] National attention was in the state as the balance of power was at the hands of the voters in Georgia.

Georgia (regular)

Georgia regular election

← 2014 November 3, 2020 (first round) January 5, 2021 (runoff) 2026 →

Nominee Jon Ossoff David Perdue Party Democratic Republican First round 2,374,519 47.9% 2,462,617 49.7% Runoff 2,268,612 50.61% 2,213,604 49.39%

U.S. senator before election David Perdue Republican Elected U.S. senator Jon Ossoff Democratic

One-term Republican David Perdue was elected in 2014, and sought a second term.^[107]

Jon Ossoff, a former congressional candidate, documentary film producer, and investigative journalist, defeated former Columbus mayor Teresa Tomlinson and 2018 lieutenant governor nominee Sarah Riggs Amico in the Democratic primary to secure nomination.^[108][109] He faced incumbent Republican David Perdue in the November 3 election.

In the November election, no candidate received 50% or more of the total vote; per Georgia law, the election advanced to a runoff between the top two finishers, Ossoff and Perdue, on January 5, 2021. Ossoff was projected the winner on January 6,^[110] and Perdue conceded on January 8.^[111]

Georgia (special)

2020–21 United States Senate special election in Georgia

← 2016 November 3, 2020 (first round) January 5, 2021 (runoff) 2022 →

Candidate Raphael Warnock Kelly Loeffler Party Democratic Republican First round 1,617,035 32.9% 1,273,214 25.9% Runoff 2,287,787 51.04% 2,194,480 48.96%

U.S. senator before election Kelly Loeffler Republican Elected U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock Democratic

Three-term Senator Johnny Isakson announced on August 28, 2019, that he would resign from the Senate on December 31, 2019, citing health concerns.^[112] Georgia governor Brian Kemp appointed Republican Kelly Loeffler to replace Isakson until a regular election could be held; Loeffler took office on January 6, 2020, and competed in the November 2020 election to retain her seat.^[113]

Other Republicans who ran for the seat included Wayne Johnson, former chief operating officer of the Office of Federal Student Aid,^[114] and four-term U.S. representative Doug Collins.^[115]

A "jungle primary" was held November 3, 2020, but no candidate won more than 50% of the vote, so a runoff election between the top two finishers, Loeffler and Democratic challenger Raphael Warnock, was held on January 5, 2021.^[116] Warnock defeated Loeffler, who initially refused to concede and vowed to challenge the outcome,^[117] but conceded on January 7, after the storming of the U.S. Capitol.^[118]

Idaho

Idaho election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Jim Risch Paulette Jordan Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 537,446 285,864 Percentage 62.6% 33.3%

U.S. senator before election Jim Risch Republican Elected U.S. senator Jim Risch Republican

Republican Jim Risch successfully ran for a third term in 2020, defeating Democrat Paulette Jordan by a landslide. Jordan is a former gubernatorial nominee and former Coeur d'Alene Tribal Councilwoman.

Illinois

Illinois election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Dick Durbin Mark Curran Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 3,278,930 2,319,870 Percentage 54.9% 38.9%

U.S. senator before election Dick Durbin Democratic Elected U.S. senator Dick Durbin Democratic

Democrat Dick Durbin, the Senate minority whip, easily won a fifth term in office, defeating Republican Mark Curran by a 16-point margin.^[119]

Curran served as sheriff of Lake County from 2006 to 2018 and won the Republican primary with 41.55% of the vote.^[120]

Antiwar activist Marilyn Jordan Lawlor^[121] and state representative Anne Stava-Murray^[122] briefly challenged Durbin in the Democratic primary, but both ended up withdrawing.^[123][124]

2019 Chicago mayoral candidate Willie Wilson, a businessman and perennial candidate, ran as a member of the "Willie Wilson Party," with the backing of a handful of Chicago aldermen and the Chicago Police Union.

Iowa

Iowa election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Joni Ernst Theresa Greenfield Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 864,997 754,859 Percentage 51.7% 45.2%

U.S. senator before election Joni Ernst Republican Elected U.S. senator Joni Ernst Republican

Republican Joni Ernst, first elected to the Senate in 2014, won a second term in office, defeating Democrat Theresa Greenfield.^[125]

Greenfield won the Democratic nomination, defeating former vice-admiral Michael T. Franken, attorney Kimberly Graham, and businessman Eddie Mauro in the primary.

Ernst's popularity had dropped in polls, and many considered this seat a possible Democratic pickup, but Ernst was reelected by a larger-than-expected 6.5 points.

Kansas

Kansas election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Roger Marshall Barbara Bollier Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 727,962 571,530 Percentage 53.2% 41.8%

U.S. senator before election Pat Roberts Republican Elected U.S. senator Roger Marshall Republican

Republican Congressman Roger Marshall won the seat held by retiring Senator Pat Roberts, defeating Democrat Barbara Bollier by a larger-than-expected 11.4 points.

In the Republican primary, Marshall defeated former Kansas secretary of state Kris Kobach,^[126] state Turnpike Authority chairman Dave Lindstrom,^[127] state senate president Susan Wagle, and others.^[128]

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 did not run.^[129][130]

Barbara Bollier, a state senator and former Republican,^[131] defeated former congressional candidate Robert Tillman^[132] for the Democratic nomination.

Kentucky

Kentucky election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Mitch McConnell Amy McGrath Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,233,315 816,257 Percentage 57.8% 38.2%

U.S. senator before election Mitch McConnell Republican Elected U.S. senator Mitch McConnell Republican

Republican Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, defeated Democrat Amy McGrath by 19.6 percentage points, winning a 7th term in office.

Louisiana

Louisiana election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Bill Cassidy Adrian Perkins Derrick Edwards Party Republican Democratic Democratic Popular vote 1,228,908 394,049 229,814 Percentage 59.3% 19.0% 11.1%

U.S. senator before election Bill Cassidy Republican Elected U.S. senator Bill Cassidy Republican

Republican Bill Cassidy won a second term in office, defeating three-term Democrat Mary Landrieu and others.^[133]

A Louisiana primary (a form of jungle primary) was held on November 3. Had no candidate won a majority of the vote in the primary, a runoff election would have been held, but Cassidy won in the first round.

Maine

Maine election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Susan Collins Sara Gideon Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 417,645[ab] 347,223[ab] Percentage 50.98% 42.39%

U.S. senator before election Susan Collins Republican Elected U.S. senator Susan Collins Republican

Republican Susan Collins won a fifth term in office, defeating Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives Sara Gideon,^[134]

Gideon consistently led Collins in polls for almost the entire election cycle. Collins is considered one of the most moderate Republicans in the Senate and had never faced a competitive reelection campaign, even though Maine leans Democratic. But she faced growing unpopularity due to her increasingly conservative voting record and her votes to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court and to acquit Trump in his impeachment trial. Despite almost all polling and Gideon's formidable funding,^[135] Collins was reelected by a surprising 8.5-point margin.

Educator and activist Lisa Savage also ran as a candidate for the Green party.^[136]

Massachusetts

Massachusetts election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Ed Markey Kevin O'Connor Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,357,809 1,177,765 Percentage 66.15% 33.05%

U.S. senator before election Ed Markey Democratic Elected U.S. senator Ed Markey Democratic

Democrat Ed Markey was reelected in 2014, having won a 2013 special election to replace longtime incumbent John Kerry, who resigned to become U.S. secretary of state. He easily won a second full term in 2020, defeating Republican Kevin O'Connor by more than 33 percentage points.^[137]

Markey fended off a primary challenge from 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. This marked the first time a member of the Kennedy family lost an election in Massachusetts.^[138]

O'Connor defeated conspiracy theorist Shiva Ayyadurai, a former independent senate candidate, in the Republican primary.^[139][140]

On August 24, 2020, perennial candidate Vermin Supreme launched a write-in campaign for the Libertarian nomination,^[141] but received too few votes to qualify for the general election ballot.^[142]

Michigan

Michigan election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Gary Peters John James Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,734,568 2,642,233 Percentage 49.90% 48.22%

U.S. senator before election Gary Peters Democratic Elected U.S. senator Gary Peters Democratic

Democrat Gary Peters narrowly won a second term in office,^[143] defeating Republican John James.

James won a Republican Michigan Senate nomination for his second time,^[144] having run against incumbent Democrat Debbie Stabenow in 2018 for Michigan's other senate seat. He faced only token opposition for the 2020 Republican nomination, running against perennial candidate Bob Carr.^[145]

Minnesota

Minnesota election

←  2018 2026 →

Nominee Tina Smith Jason Lewis Kevin O'Connor Party Democratic (DFL) Republican Legal Marijuana Now Popular vote 1,566,522 1,398,145 190,154 Percentage 48.74% 43.50% 5.91%

U.S. senator before election Tina Smith Democratic (DFL) Elected U.S. senator Tina Smith Democratic (DFL)

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 defeated Republican Jason Lewis, winning her first full term in office.^[146]

Mississippi

Mississippi election

←  2018 (Special) 2026 →

Nominee Cindy Hyde-Smith Mike Espy Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 709,539 578,806 Percentage 54.10% 44.13%

U.S. senator before election Cindy Hyde-Smith Republican Elected U.S. senator Cindy Hyde-Smith Republican

Incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith won her first full term in office, defeating Democrat and former U.S. secretary of agriculture Mike Espy by 10 percentage points.^[147] This race was an exact rematch of the 2018 Mississippi Senate special election, in which Hyde-Smith defeated Espy for the remaining two years of the seat's term.

Libertarian candidate Jimmy Edwards also made the general election ballot.

Montana

Montana election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Steve Daines Steve Bullock Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 333,174 272,463 Percentage 55.01% 44.99%

U.S. senator before election Steve Daines Republican Elected U.S. senator Steve Daines Republican

Republican Steve Daines won a second term in office, defeating the Democratic nominee, Montana Governor Steve Bullock.^[148]

Daines was opposed (before his nomination) in the Republican primary by hardware store manager Daniel Larson and former Democratic speaker of the Montana House of Representatives John Driscoll, who changed parties in 2020.^[149]

Bullock won the Democratic nomination,^[150] defeating nuclear engineer and U.S. Navy veteran John Mues.^[151]

Libertarian and Green party candidates were set to appear on the general election ballot, but the Libertarians refused to nominate a replacement after their nominee withdrew and the Greens' nominee was disqualified.

Once Bullock filed his candidacy, the race became seen as highly competitive. Bullock is a popular governor and a moderate, led in many polls in the spring and summer of 2020, and raised more money than Daines. Closer to election day, Bullock slightly trailed in polls, but the election was still seen as relatively competitive. Daines defeated Bullock by a larger-than-expected 10-point margin.

Nebraska

Nebraska election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Ben Sasse Chris Janicek Gene Siadek Party Republican Democratic Libertarian Popular vote 583,507 227,191 55,115 Percentage 67.39% 26.24% 6.37%

U.S. senator before election Ben Sasse Republican Elected U.S. senator Ben Sasse Republican

Republican Ben Sasse easily won a second term in office, defeating Democrat Chris Janicek by more than 40 percentage points.^{[152][failed verification]}

Sasse had 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 also appeared on the general election ballot.

After the primary election, the Nebraska Democratic party withdrew its support from Janicek when allegations that he sexually harassed a campaign staffer emerged.^[153] Janicek refused to leave the race despite the state party endorsing his former primary opponent,^{[clarification needed]} which led former Democratic Congressman Brad Ashford to announce a write-in campaign on August 23, 2020.^[154][155] After Janicek vowed to remain in the race anyway, Ashford withdrew on August 27, citing lack of time and resources necessary for a U.S. Senate campaign.^[156] The state Democratic Party subsequently threw its support behind longtime Nebraska activist Preston Love, Jr., who declared a write-in candidacy for the seat.^[157][158]

New Hampshire

New Hampshire election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Jeanne Shaheen Corky Messner Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 450,778 326,229 Percentage 56.63% 40.99%

U.S. senator before election Jeanne Shaheen Democratic Elected U.S. senator Jeanne Shaheen Democratic

Two-term Democrat Jeanne Shaheen won a third term in office by nearly 16 percentage points, defeating Republican Corky Messner.^[159]

Messner defeated U.S. Army brigadier general Donald C. Bolduc and perennial candidate Andy Martin for the Republican nomination,^{[160][161][162]} winning the nomination on September 8.

Libertarian Justin O'Donnell also appeared on the general election ballot.^[163]

New Jersey

New Jersey election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Cory Booker Rik Mehta Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,541,178 1,817,052 Percentage 57.23% 40.92%

U.S. senator before election Cory Booker Democratic Elected U.S. senator Cory Booker Democratic

Democrat Cory Booker won a second full term in office, having first won his seat in a 2013 special election after serving seven years as the mayor of Newark. He defeated Republican Rick Mehta by a margin of more than 16 percentage points.

Booker had sought his party's nomination for President of the United States in 2020. He suspended his presidential campaign on January 13, 2020, and confirmed his intention to seek a second Senate term.^[164]

Attorney Rik Mehta defeated engineer Hirsh Singh, 2018 Independent U.S. Senate candidate Tricia Flanagan, 2018 independent U.S. Senate candidate Natalie Lynn Rivera, and Eugene Anagnos for the Republican nomination.

Green Party candidate Madelyn Hoffman and two independent candidates also appeared on the general election ballot.

New Jersey has not elected a Republican senator since 1972, and all pundits expected Booker to be easily reelected.^[165]

New Mexico

New Mexico election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Ben Ray Luján Mark Ronchetti Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 474,483 418,483 Percentage 51.73% 45.62%

U.S. senator before election Tom Udall Democratic Elected U.S. senator Ben Ray Luján Democratic

Two-term Democrat Tom Udall is the only incumbent Democratic U.S. senator retiring in 2020.^[166] Demcoratic U.S. representative Ben Ray Luján^[167] defeated Republican Mark Ronchetti by 6 percentage points.

Luján won the Democratic nomination without serious opposition.

Ronchetti, the former KRQE chief meteorologist, defeated former U.S. Interior Department official Gavin Clarkson and executive director for the New Mexico Alliance for Life Elisa Martinez in the primary.^{[168][169][170]}

Libertarian Bob Walsh also appeared on the general election ballot.^{[citation needed]}

North Carolina

North Carolina election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Thom Tillis Cal Cunningham Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 2,665,598 2,569,965 Percentage 48.69% 46.94%

U.S. senator before election Thom Tillis Republican Elected U.S. senator Thom Tillis Republican

Republican Thom Tillis won a second term in office, defeating Democratic former state senator Cal Cunningham.

Cunningham defeated state senator Erica D. Smith and Mecklenburg County commissioner Trevor Fuller for the Democratic nomination. Tillis defeated three opponents.^[171]

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

Despite having grown unpopular among both centrist and conservative Republicans due to his inconsistent support of Trump, and trailing narrowly in polls for almost the entire cycle,^[172] Tillis won reelection by nearly 2 points.^[173]

Oklahoma

Oklahoma election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Jim Inhofe Abby Broyles Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 979,140 509,763 Percentage 62.91% 32.75%

U.S. senator before election Jim Inhofe Republican Elected U.S. senator Jim Inhofe Republican

Republican Jim Inhofe easily won a fifth term in office, defeating Democrat Abby Broyles by more than 30 percentage points.

Inhofe defeated J.J. Stitt, a farmer and gun shop owner, and Neil Mavis, a former Libertarian Party candidate, for the Republican nomination.^[174]

Broyles, an attorney, defeated perennial candidate Sheila Bilyeu and 2018 5th congressional district candidate Elysabeth Britt for the Democratic nomination.

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

Oklahoma is one of the most solidly Republican states^[19] and Inhofe won in a landslide.

Oregon

Oregon election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Jeff Merkley Jo Rae Perkins Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,321,047 912,814 Percentage 56.91% 39.32%

U.S. senator before election Jeff Merkley Democratic Elected U.S. senator Jeff Merkley Democratic

Democrat Jeff Merkley won a third term in office, defeating Republican Jo Rae Perkins by more than 17 percentage points. Merkley also received the Oregon Independent Party and the Working Families Party nominations.^[175]

Perkins, a 2014 U.S. Senate and 2018 U.S. House candidate, defeated three other candidates in the Republican primary with 49.29% of the vote. She is a supporter of QAnon.^[176]

Ibrahim Taher was also on the general election ballot, representing the Pacific Green Party^[177] and the Oregon Progressive Party. Gary Dye represented the Libertarian Party.^[175]

Rhode Island

Rhode Island election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Jack Reed Allen Waters Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 328,574 164,855 Percentage 66.48% 33.35%

U.S. senator before election Jack Reed Democratic Elected U.S. senator Jack Reed Democratic

Democrat Jack Reed won a fifth term in office, defeating Republican Allen Waters by more than 33 percentage points.

Both Reed and Waters ran unopposed for their respective nominations.

South Carolina

South Carolina election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Lindsey Graham Jaime Harrison Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,369,137 1,110,828 Percentage 54.44% 44.17%

U.S. senator before election Lindsey Graham Republican Elected U.S. senator Lindsey Graham Republican

Three-term Republican Lindsey Graham won a fourth term in office, defeating Democrat Jaime Harrison by over ten percentage points in a highly publicized race.

Graham defeated three opponents in the June 9 Republican primary.^[178]

After his primary opponents dropped out, former South Carolina Democratic Party chairman Jaime Harrison was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

Bill Bledsoe won the Constitution Party nomination. On October 1, 2020, Bledsoe dropped out of the race and endorsed Graham, but remained on the ballot as required by state law.^[179]

Despite the significant Republican lean of the state as a whole, polls indicated that the Senate election was competitive, with summer polling ranging from a tie to a modest advantage for Graham.^[180][181] Graham's popularity had declined as a result of his close embrace of Trump, reversing his outspoken criticism of Trump in the 2016 campaign.^[182][183]

Graham's victory was by a much larger margin than expected,^[184] as part of a broader pattern of Republicans overperforming polls in 2020.

South Dakota

South Dakota election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Mike Rounds Dan Ahlers Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 276,232 143,987 Percentage 65.74% 34.26%

U.S. senator before election Mike Rounds Republican Elected U.S. senator Mike Rounds Republican

Republican Mike Rounds, former governor of South Dakota, won a second term in office, defeating Democrat Dan Ahlers.

Rounds faced a primary challenge from state representative Scyller Borglum.^[185]

Ahlers, a South Dakota state representative, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.^[186]

One independent candidate, Clayton Walker, filed but failed to qualify for the ballot.^[187]

Tennessee

Tennessee election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Bill Hagerty Marquita Bradshaw Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,840,926 1,040,691 Percentage 62.20% 35.16%

U.S. senator before election Lamar Alexander Republican Elected U.S. senator Bill Hagerty Republican

Three-term Republican Lamar Alexander was reelected in 2014. He announced in December 2018 that he would not seek a fourth term.^[188]

Assisted by an endorsement from Trump,^[189] former ambassador to Japan Bill Hagerty won the Republican nomination^[190] and the seat.

Hagerty defeated orthopedic surgeon Manny Sethi^[191] and 13 others in the Republican primary.

Environmental activist Marquita Bradshaw of Memphis defeated James Mackler, an Iraq War veteran and Nashville attorney,^[192] in the Democratic primary, a major upset.

Nine Independent candidates also appeared on the general election ballot.

Hagerty easily defeated Bradshaw.

Texas

Texas election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee John Cornyn MJ Hegar Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 5,962,983 4,888,764 Percentage 53.51% 43.87%

U.S. senator before election John Cornyn Republican Elected U.S. senator John Cornyn Republican

Republican John Cornyn won a fourth^[193] term in office, defeating Democrat MJ Hegar by more than ten percentage points.

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

Hegar, an Air Force combat veteran and the 2018 Democratic nominee for Texas's 31st congressional district,^[194] defeated runner-up state senator Royce West and 11 other candidates in the Democratic primary. Hegar and West advanced to a primary runoff election on July 14 to decide the nomination, and Hegar prevailed.

The Green and Libertarian Parties also appeared on the general election ballot. Candidates from the Human Rights Party and the People over Politics Party and three independents failed to qualify.

Statewide races in Texas have been growing more competitive in recent years, and polling in August/September showed Cornyn with a lead of 4–10 points over Hegar, with a significant fraction of the electorate still undecided.^[195][196] Cornyn's victory was at the higher end of the polling spectrum.

Virginia

Virginia election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Mark Warner Daniel Gade Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,466,500 1,934,199 Percentage 55.99% 43.91%

U.S. senator before election Mark Warner Democratic Elected U.S. senator Mark Warner Democratic

Democrat Mark Warner won a third term in office, defeating Republican Daniel Gade.

Warner ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.^[197]

Gade, a professor and U.S. Army veteran,^[198] defeated teacher Alissa Baldwin^[199] and U.S. Army veteran and intelligence officer Thomas Speciale^[200] in the Republican primary.

West Virginia

West Virginia election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Shelley Moore Capito Paula Jean Swearengin Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 547,454 210,309 Percentage 70.28% 27.00%

U.S. senator before election Shelley Moore Capito Republican Elected U.S. senator Shelley Moore Capito Republican

Republican Shelley Moore Capito was reelected to a second term in a landslide, defeating Democrat Paula Jean Swearingen by 43 points.

Capito was unsuccessfully challenged in the Republican primary by farmer Larry Butcher and Allen Whitt, president of the West Virginia Family Policy Council.^[201]

Swearingen, an environmental activist and unsuccessful candidate for Senate in 2018,^[202] won the Democratic primary, defeating former mayor of South Charleston Richie Robb and former state senator Richard Ojeda, who previously ran for Congress and, briefly, president in 2020.

Libertarian candidate David Moran also appeared on the general election ballot.

Wyoming

Wyoming election

←  2014 2026 →

Nominee Cynthia Lummis Merav Ben-David Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 198,100 72,766 Percentage 72.85% 26.76%

U.S. senator before election Mike Enzi Republican Elected U.S. senator Cynthia Lummis Republican

Four-term Republican Mike Enzi announced in May 2019 that he would retire. Republican nominee Cynthia Lummis defeated Democratic nominee Merav Ben-David by more than 46 percentage points.

Lummis won the Republican nomination in a field of nine candidates.^[203]

Ben-David, the chair of the Department of Zoology and Physiology at the University of Wyoming, defeated community activists Yana Ludwig and James Debrine, think-tank executive Nathan Wendt, and perennial candidates Rex Wilde and Kenneth R. Casner for the Democratic nomination.

See also

• 2020 United States elections
• 2020 United States House of Representatives elections
  • List of freshman class members of the 117th United States Congress
• 2020 United States presidential election
• 2020 United States gubernatorial elections
• 2020 United States Shadow Senator election in the District of Columbia

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• This page is based on the Wikipedia article 2020 United States Senate elections; it is used under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (CC-BY-SA). You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the CC-BY-SA.