Storyline · general · 2 reports from 2 newsrooms

Senate races tighten as November approaches

First reported Oct 28, 6:30 PM ET · Latest Nov 3, 11:40 AM ET · Explainer updated Nov 3, 12:06 PM ET

Where things stand

The 2026 Senate contests are drawing national focus, with key battles in Alaska and Texas highlighted by CBS News.

Continuum

The living record of this story: every fact with its status and source, updated as reporting comes in. Version 1, updated . Earlier versions

Facts

What the reporting says

Each fact is matched to the exact words of the report it comes from, and checked that those words really say it. Open one to see the source.

  • Reported Alaska's Senate race includes Democrat Mary Peltola. Is this wrong?
    Source
    • “Alaska's Senate race garnered attention with Democrat Mary Peltola” — CBS News
  • Reported Alaska's Senate race includes two candidates named Dan Sullivan. Is this wrong?
    Source
    • “two Dan Sullivans on the ballot” — CBS News
  • Reported Texas Senate race pits Republican Ken Paxton against Democrat James Talarico. Is this wrong?
    Source
    • “Republican Ken Paxton faces off against Democrat James Talarico” — CBS News
  • Reported Democrats have a chance of retaking the Senate chamber. Is this wrong?
    Source
    • “Democrats stand a chance of retaking the chamber” — PBS NewsHour
  • Reported The Senate contest will be decided by just over a dozen races. Is this wrong?
    Source
    • “contest will come down to just over a dozen races across the country” — PBS NewsHour

How to read the labels: Reported: one newsroom · Corroborated: two or more independent newsrooms · Confirmed: backed by a primary source such as an official release or filing · Disputed: newsrooms disagree · Updated: replaced by a newer figure. This story as data for AI assistants and developers.

Timeline

What changed: In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola and two candidates named Dan Sullivan appear on the ballot, while in Texas Republican Ken Paxton is challenged by Democrat James Talarico.

How this story developed

  1. New Alaska's Senate race includes Democrat Mary Peltola. Alaska's Senate race includes two candidates named Dan Sullivan. Texas Senate race pits Republican Ken Paxton against Democrat James Talarico. Democrats have a chance of retaking the Senate chamber.

Every report, newest first

  1. Analyzing Alaska, Texas Senate races — CBS News

    Alaska's Senate race garnered attention with Democrat Mary Peltola and two Dan Sullivans on the ballot. In typically red Texas, Republican Ken Paxton faces off against Democrat James Talarico. CBS News' Fin Gómez has more.

  2. Where key Senate races stand in the final days of campaigning — PBS NewsHour

    The race for the Senate has moved from off-the-radar a year ago to a dramatic, hard-to-predict finish where Democrats stand a chance of retaking the chamber. The contest will come down to just over a dozen races across the country. Lisa Desjardins takes a…

Questions

  • How the presence of two candidates with the same name in Alaska will affect voter choices, and whether the Texas contest will shift the state's typical partisan balance, remain unclear. Open

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More: background

Senate races determine which party controls the upper chamber of Congress; a party majority can shape legislation and appointments. Alaska’s race features a Democrat incumbent and multiple challengers, whereas Texas, traditionally Republican‑leaning, now has a competitive Democratic contender.

How this works: stories from different newsrooms are grouped by topic, then AI writes the explainer using only those reports. It may miss context the reports don't include.