Overview
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer appointed New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to lead the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for the 2026 election cycle.
- Gillibrand aims to support Democratic incumbents, recruit strong candidates, and secure resources to compete in key battleground states.
- Democrats face a difficult path to regain the Senate majority, needing to flip four seats while defending vulnerable seats in Georgia and Michigan.
- Gillibrand has identified potential pickup opportunities in Republican-held states like North Carolina and Maine, though these remain challenging targets.
- Republicans hold a 53-47 Senate majority, with many of their 2026 seats in reliably red states carried by Donald Trump in 2024.