We are watching 10 US Senate races this year, all with implications for Democrats’ ability to hold the Senate and women’s ability to maintain our representation in Congress. Here’s what to watch during each primary and beyond:
Last updated June 25
March 5
California, Safe D, Competitive Primary: Reps. Katie Porter and Barbara Lee—who both vacated US House seats to make a play for higher office—unfortunately came up short against Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey, meaning women will be shut out of the general election in the state that was the first to put two women in the US Senate. And, a competitive race featuring a Republican in the top two risks driving GOP turnout, imperiling down ballot races that Democrats need to win to flip the House.
May 7
Indiana, Likely R, General Election: Indiana has not had a Democrat representing it in the US Senate since Joe Donnelly was defeated for re-election in 2018. This race is firmly Rep. Jim Banks’ to lose, but by nominating a new kind of Democrat—Valerie is a career medical professional as well as the first Black woman nominated to run for Senate in Indiana’s history—state Democrats are showing they’re committed to making the race competitive.
May 14
Maryland, Likely D, General Election: Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks cruised to victory over US. Rep. David Trone in the primary, netting a solid 54 percent of the vote despite being outspent nearly 9-to-1 as Trone dropped $62 million of his own money in the race. General election polls show a close race with her general election opponent, former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan.
June 11
Nevada, Toss Up, General Election: Incumbent Sen. Jacky Rosen faces one of the toughest races in the Senate this year. Her fellow Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto retained her seat in 2022 by less than a point, and Sen. Jacky Rosen is a freshman, making her even more vulnerable. She will face Army veteran Sam Brown in the general election. He won nearly 60 percent of the vote in the Republican primary, after Donald Trump’s last-minute endorsement signaled support from the MAGA base. That endorsement is likely to turbo-charge his Republican support in the fall—but could hurt him among independents and swing voters, who he’s been trying to court by taking a more moderate stance on abortion and keeping mum on Trump’s claims of election rigging.
North Dakota, Solid R, General Election: Katrina, an educator and engineer, is again stepping up to challenge the incumbent in this Republican-held seat—she was the nominee in 2022 for the state’s Class 3 Senate seat—this time against freshman incumbent Sen. Kevin Cramer, who beat former Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp to flip this seat in 2018. This seat is unlikely to flip back, but considering how recently Democrats held it, things could be interesting.
June 25
Utah, Solid R, General Election: Professional ski mountaineer and climate activist Caroline Gleich will face Rep. John Curtis for this open seat being vacated by Sen. Mitt Romney. Curtis is not an election denier but is significantly more conservative than Romney, which at least presents an opportunity for Caroline to make things interesting in a state that’s trended steadily to the center in the Trump era, although this seat doesn’t appear to be in serious danger of flipping.
You can track US House primaries and general election races via our partner, WomenCount.