# A Paralympian vs a former TV news anchor – and other US Senate races to watch

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/a-paralympian-vs-a-former-tv-news-anchor-and-other-us-senate-races-to-watch/
- Published: 2026-11-02T13:49:19+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-02T15:04:05+00:00
- Original publisher: BBC World (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqy7ljkprvjko?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
- Topics: Americas, Entertainment, Government, Politics, TV, World

## Key points

- Seven Senate contests could decide control of Congress’s upper chamber.
- Democrats need a four-seat gain to take control.
- Alaska and Maine feature high-profile, closely watched match-ups.

## Summary

Seven US Senate races are considered toss-ups in the midterm elections, which could determine control of the Republican-led chamber and shape President Donald Trump’s final two years in office. Democrats need to gain four seats to take control, giving them greater power to scrutinise the administration and decide on judicial nominations.

The article profiles contests including Alaska, where Republican Dan Sullivan faces former congresswoman Mary Peltola amid a dispute over a second candidate with the same name, and Maine, where Republican Susan Collins is challenged by Democrat Troy Jackson. Alaska’s ranked-choice voting and slow result count could make it pivotal; in Maine, Collins is testing whether a centrist Republican can win by keeping distance from Trump. The text also introduces Iowa’s race between Democrat Josh Turek and Republican Ashley Hinson.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.