An already active start to the 2026 cycle has kicked into overdrive in recent weeks with a major retirement announcement, the passage of a key GOP priority and moves by candidates that could further scramble the chess board.

Conservative lawmaker Mike Collins enters Georgia's 2026 Senate race against Jon Ossoff, showcasing his Trump endorsement and record as author of the Laken Riley Act.

Two-term Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) announced he is jumping into Georgia' senate race in an effort to unseat Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA).

President Donald Trump has picked the candidate he’s supporting to fill North Carolina’s open Senate seat in the 2026 election: Michael Whatley. Whatley is a North Carolina native who served as head of the state’s Republican Party before Trump selected him in 2024 as chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Chair Michael Whatley is planning to run for Senate in North Carolina to succeed retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R), a source familiar confirmed to The Hill.

Elon Musk suggested a third political party, which he’s floated as the “America Party,” will hold significant sway in the Senate and House under slim Republican margins, as he aspires to form a competing party after breaking with the GOP over President Donald Trump’s signature policy bill.

Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is expected to speak at a high-profile state Democratic Party's "Unity Dinner" Saturday night, which will be his first public appearance since news emerged that he plans to run for U.