On October 19 the Cook Political Report rated 13 Senate races competitive ahead of the 2026 midterms. Its analysis put Michigan as Democrats' most vulnerable open seat and North Carolina as their best pickup, with Ohio and Alaska the next best shots, and a range from 54 Democratic seats on a good night to 48 or 49 on a bad one. Cook's closing analysis now calls Democrats slight favorites and keeps seven races as toss-ups.