With control of Congress at stake on Nov. 3, CBS News has singled out 52 contests as consequential amid narrow Republican advantages in the Senate and House. Its Oct. 6 report lists 10 Senate races and 42 House contests that it considers especially consequential to the party majorities. The list reflects the outlet’s editorial judgment about which races could shape control; it is not an official election projection.
The Senate’s official directory lists 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats and two independents, who caucus with Democrats, according to Senate Daily Press. CBS News says Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control. The Senate’s staggered class system puts roughly one-third of its seats up for election every two years.
In Texas, the state sample ballot lists Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico as Senate candidates. North Carolina’s March 3 primary results show Roy Cooper won the Democratic nomination and Michael Whatley the Republican nomination, according to the state election board.
Alaska’s general-election candidate list includes Republican incumbent Dan S. Sullivan, Democrat Mary Peltola, Republican Gerald L. Heikes and undeclared candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. The state list thus contains two candidates named Sullivan.
All 435 House seats are contested, and 218 are needed for a majority. On Oct. 19, the Office of the Clerk listed two vacancies alongside 218 Republicans, 214 Democrats and one independent. The threshold is four seats above the Democratic count and equals the Republican total in that tally.
CBS News also includes California’s 13th Congressional District. The California Secretary of State’s 2024 Statement of Vote recorded 105,554 votes for Adam Gray and 105,367 for John Duarte, a 187-vote difference. The Federal Election Commission’s calendar sets the general election for Nov. 3, 2026.
