Dems Push Top Recruits Into Senate Battles Amid High-Stakes Midterms
Many political observers say Alaska Democrat Mary Peltola has little practical incentive to jump into a U.S. Senate race. Running for governor would keep her closer to home, give her more day-to-day influence over state policy, and offer far better odds than a bruising Senate contest in a Republican-leaning state.
Nevertheless, Peltola is actively considering a challenge to Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan — and some Democratic insiders believe she is leaning in that direction, according to NOTUS. If she jumps in, she would join a wave of Democrats pursuing Senate seats in 2026 despite the political headwinds facing their party.
With Washington more polarized — and less productive — than ever, many politicians are staying far away from Capitol Hill. Yet Senate Democrats have convinced Roy Cooper in North Carolina, Sherrod Brown in Ohio, and Janet Mills in Maine to launch campaigns after initially displaying little interest.
Democratic strategists claim these candidates were motivated by a shared anxiety about the direction of the country under President Donald J. Trump and a belief that they could help shift course.
“I don’t think it matters what age, what background, what office you’ve had before,” said Stephanie Schriock, former head of Emily’s List. “These are folks who know there is just a gigantic challenge in front of us, and now they want to be the ones who roll up their sleeves.”
Their states represent some of the Democratic Party’s most ambitious — and least likely — targets for 2026. Their participation is viewed as essential to the party’s increasingly distant hope of retaking the Senate majority.
But the path is anything but smooth. This year’s recruitment cycle has been marked by internal frustration, candidates criticizing Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, and a growing faction running on promises to break away from the party’s entrenched Washington machinery.
In Maine, dissatisfaction with party leadership helped motivate oyster farmer Graham Platner to run for Senate, complicating Mills’ path to the nomination and drawing national intrigue. Some polls show Platner ahead of Mills in the primary — and he has refused to drop out despite controversies surrounding his personal history.
Many Democrats were stunned Mills chose to run at all, given her age and decades-long political career dating back to the 1980s.
Cooper, meanwhile, has held statewide office for most of the past 20 years and repeatedly declined previous Senate recruitment efforts. Now he will attempt to become the first Democrat in nearly two decades to win a Senate seat in North Carolina.
Perhaps most surprising is Sherrod Brown. After losing reelection last year following an 18-year Senate career, many expected he would move on — some even urged him to run for governor instead. By running again, Brown is signing up for another grueling battle this cycle and, if victorious, would face yet another contest in 2028.
“A lot of people would have said, ‘I have other things to do or I could get a TV gig,’” said David Pepper, former chair of the Ohio Democratic Party. “But he’s signing up for at least one, and probably two, truly big time, all in campaigns.”
Those close to the candidates say their decisions stem from several factors, including early signs that Democrats may fare slightly better in next year’s environment than previously expected. But each candidate has pointed directly to Trump’s return to the White House as a central motivator — echoing the party’s escalating rhetoric that his leadership threatens democratic norms.
Cooper said in his announcement video that he had not planned to return to Washington but felt compelled because “these are not ordinary times.”
Brown echoed that sentiment, insisting he had not intended to run again but wanted to end the “craziness” in Washington.
Mills was even more blunt.
“Honestly, if this president and this Congress were doing things that were even remotely acceptable, I wouldn’t be running for the U.S. Senate,” she said.
As Democrats attempt to recruit candidates for uphill Senate contests across the country, Peltola’s decision could determine whether Alaska becomes another battleground — or remains firmly in Republican hands as President Trump’s second-term agenda continues reshaping the political landscape.