The numbers: The regular 2028 U.S. Senate map includes 34 Class III seats. As of October 23, 2026, Republicans hold 19 and Democrats hold 15. The seats are scheduled for election November 7, 2028, and their next six-year terms begin January 3, 2029.
Data as of October 23, 2026; sources listed below.
Which Senate Seats Are Up in 2028?
The U.S. Senate divides its 100 seats into three classes so that approximately one-third faces the voters every two years. Class III is the class regularly on the ballot in 2028. The Senate’s official Class III directory identifies 34 seats and the senators currently serving in them.
The party breakdown is a snapshot, not a prediction. It can change because of party switches, vacancies or appointments before Election Day. A sitting senator also may retire, lose a party primary or choose another office. A name in this chart means current officeholder, not confirmed 2028 candidate.
| State | Current Class III senator | Party holding seat | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Katie Britt | Republican | U.S. Senate |
| Alaska | Lisa Murkowski | Republican | U.S. Senate |
| Arizona | Mark Kelly | Democratic | U.S. Senate |
| Arkansas | John Boozman | Republican | U.S. Senate |
| California | Alex Padilla | Democratic | U.S. Senate |
| Colorado | Michael Bennet | Democratic | U.S. Senate |
| Connecticut | Richard Blumenthal | Democratic | U.S. Senate |
| Florida | Ashley Moody | Republican | U.S. Senate |
| Georgia | Raphael Warnock | Democratic | U.S. Senate |
| Hawaii | Brian Schatz | Democratic | U.S. Senate |
| Idaho | Mike Crapo | Republican | U.S. Senate |
| Illinois | Tammy Duckworth | Democratic | U.S. Senate |
| Indiana | Todd Young | Republican | U.S. Senate |
| Iowa | Chuck Grassley | Republican | U.S. Senate |
| Kansas | Jerry Moran | Republican | U.S. Senate |
| Kentucky | Rand Paul | Republican | U.S. Senate |
| Louisiana | John Kennedy | Republican | U.S. Senate |
| Maryland | Chris Van Hollen | Democratic | U.S. Senate |
| Missouri | Eric Schmitt | Republican | U.S. Senate |
| Nevada | Catherine Cortez Masto | Democratic | U.S. Senate |
| New Hampshire | Maggie Hassan | Democratic | U.S. Senate |
| New York | Chuck Schumer | Democratic | U.S. Senate |
| North Carolina | Ted Budd | Republican | U.S. Senate |
| North Dakota | John Hoeven | Republican | U.S. Senate |
| Ohio | Jon Husted | Republican | U.S. Senate |
| Oklahoma | James Lankford | Republican | U.S. Senate |
| Oregon | Ron Wyden | Democratic | U.S. Senate |
| Pennsylvania | John Fetterman | Democratic | U.S. Senate |
| South Carolina | Tim Scott | Republican | U.S. Senate |
| South Dakota | John Thune | Republican | U.S. Senate |
| Utah | Mike Lee | Republican | U.S. Senate |
| Vermont | Peter Welch | Democratic | U.S. Senate |
| Washington | Patty Murray | Democratic | U.S. Senate |
| Wisconsin | Ron Johnson | Republican | U.S. Senate |
The regular count is 34 because this class contains that number of states. The other two classes each contain 33 seats. Special elections may appear on the 2028 ballot outside this list if vacancies require them.
Where the Two Parties Defend Seats
Democratic-held Class III seats are in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Washington. Republican-held Class III seats are in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah and Wisconsin.
This division is an inventory of defenses, not a ranking by difficulty. Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin may attract national attention because of their recent electoral histories, but competitiveness cannot be inferred solely from a state appearing on the map. Candidate selection, general-election coalitions and the 2028 political environment remain unsettled.
Two seats warrant a procedural note. Florida’s Ashley Moody and Ohio’s Jon Husted entered their Class III seats by appointment following vacancies. The Senate lists both as current senators. Both seats are also on the November 3, 2026 ballot in special elections for the remainder of the term ending January 3, 2029, according to the Florida Division of Elections and Ohio county candidate lists. Whoever wins those specials will hold the seats when the regular Class III election comes in 2028, so the 19-15 split could change before then. Confusing an interim appointment with a fresh six-year election leads to faulty maps.
Why the Total Is Not the Same as Senate Control
The 34 regular races do not alone determine which party has control today. Control is based on all 100 senators currently seated, and in a tie the vice president may cast a deciding vote. The 2026 election, which has not yet taken place as of this article’s date, will determine other class seats that remain in the chamber when the 2028 cycle begins. For the closest of those 2026 contests, see our look at the Senate toss-up races and latest polls.
For that reason, it is too early to state how many net 2028 gains either party will need. An accurate control calculation must first incorporate certified 2026 outcomes, vacancies, subsequent party changes and any special elections. The 19-to-15 distribution is meaningful as exposure by party; it is not a forecast of the chamber’s 2029 majority.
A useful second distinction is between a state holding a Senate election and both state senators being on the ballot. Ordinarily just one seat is up in a given state in a regular cycle. A second Senate contest in the same state would arise from a special-election circumstance, not from a change in the three-class system.
Third, incumbency is not the same as renomination. Official primary filings and state election results establish who appears in the general election. A national campaign committee’s target list is strategy, not ballot certification.
How to Track the Map Through 2028
The most durable starting point is the Senate’s Class III list. Voters and researchers should add state election calendars, candidate qualification records and official primary results as those documents become available. Election-law differences affect how quickly the names and ballot order become final.
Polling comparisons should use consistent definitions: registered voters versus likely voters, two-way ballots versus all actual candidates, and field dates. A survey about a hypothetical matchup is not a record of a filed candidate. Fundraising is likewise an indicator of resources, not votes.
Once 2026 results are certified, a full 2028 Senate control picture can combine the Class I, II and III holdings with vacancies and the number of seats each party must gain. That is the point to calculate mathematical paths rather than applying today’s numbers to an unknown future chamber.
What the 19-15 Split Does and Doesn’t Tell You
The simplest reading of the current map: Republicans hold 19 of the regularly scheduled Class III seats and Democrats hold 15. That imbalance affects how many campaigns each party must fund and staff. Where those seats sit, and who ends up running for them, will matter far more to the outcome.
The soundest 2028 coverage will separate verified officeholders, filed candidates, party nominees and projected competitiveness. Those are four different categories.
Senate Map Questions
How many Senate seats are up in 2028? Thirty-four regular Class III seats. Special elections could add other races.
Which party currently holds more 2028 seats? Republicans hold 19 and Democrats 15 as of October 23, 2026.
Does the Senate elect all 100 members in 2028? No. Roughly one-third of senators are elected every two years.
When do senators elected in 2028 take office? Their regular six-year terms begin January 3, 2029.
Are all the listed incumbents running again? No conclusion about a 2028 candidacy follows from the current holder of the seat.
Sources
- U.S. Senate: Class III senators, terms ending 2029
- U.S. Senate: Senators and class listings
- National Archives: U.S. Constitution and Seventeenth Amendment
- U.S. Senate: Appointed senators
- Florida Division of Elections: 2026 U.S. Senate candidate listing
- Stark County (Ohio) Board of Elections: Nov. 3, 2026 candidate list
