Democrats won control of the US Senate by taking states in traditional Republican strongholds in a string of victories that brings new blood to Washington.

The next generation of Democratic leaders – which many see as a field for potential presidential candidates – includes a pastor of a Methodist megachurch, a Paralympic gold medallist, a logger, a paediatrician, a state health official and a former sixth-grade teacher.

After years in which the party was dominated by older grandees such as former president Joe Biden and senator Bernie Sanders, the new intake brings a younger generation into view.

These are the new senators to watch:

Abdul El-Sayed (Michigan)

Abdul El-Sayed, a Rhodes Scholar and former county health director, won a crucial Midwest swing state on a far-left platform. He has proposed the abolition of Ice and guaranteeing healthcare for all.

El-Sayed, who will become the first Muslim US senator in American history, has called Binyamin Netanyahu’s response to Hamas’s October 7th 2023 attack on Israel a “genocide”.

In August, El-Sayed apologised to a group of Jewish Democrats for previously saying that “hurt people hurt people” after an attack on a Michigan synagogue. El-Sayed (42), won despite late opposition from former Democratic opponent Haley Stevens, who endorsed his Republican challenger Mike Rogers.

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James Talarico (Texas)

James Talarico, a former sixth-grade teacher studying to become a Presbyterian pastor, is the first Democrat to win a Senate race in Texas since 1988.

In his campaign Talarico (37), tied the affordability crisis to corruption – the top two issues for voters – pushing for greater deductions on healthcare and housing, higher taxes for the wealthy, and a ban on Super Pacs, gerrymandering and congressional stock trading.

Republicans threw the kitchen sink at Talarico, dubbing him “Talafreako”, falsely claiming he was a vegan and ridiculing him for once saying, “God is non-binary.”

Donald Trump endorsed Ken Paxton, Talarico’s Republican opponent, despite the state attorney-general’s long history of marital and legal troubles, including an impeachment by the Republican-controlled state House on charges of bribery and obstruction of justice.

[ Keith Duggan: Talented Talarico silences conspiracy theorists in fascinating Senate raceOpens in new window ]

Annie Andrews (South Carolina)

Paediatrician Annie Andrews is the first South Carolina Democrat elected to the Senate since 1998, beating Lindsey Graham’s sister Darline, who was appointed to the seat after her brother’s death.

Andrews ran on a programme that included the expansion of Medicaid, which provides health insurance for the poor, and ending the war against Iran. The 45-year-old also adopted some Trump positions, such as making permanent no taxes on tips and social security.

The political neophyte also seized on one of Darline Graham’s comments during a debate – “national security is not my thing” – to accuse her Republican opponent of being unqualified.

[ Keith Duggan: Lindsey Graham betrayed his younger self by becoming Trump's golf buddyOpens in new window ]

Adam Hamilton (Kansas)

Adam Hamilton, a Methodist pastor of a megachurch in Kansas, is the first Democrat elected to the US Senate from Kansas since 1932, before the invention of the chocolate chip cookie.

The 62-year-old beat Roger Marshall, a Republican senator who was found to have sued hundreds of clients over outstanding bills during his career as an obstetrician.

[ Keith Duggan: Can everyday Methodist pastor create a political miracle in Kansas?Opens in new window ]

Roy Cooper (North Carolina)

Former North Carolina governor and state attorney-general Roy Cooper beat former GOP party boss Michael Whatley in North Carolina, which had not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 2008.

Cooper (69), pitched himself as a moderate Democrat able to push back on conservative social policies while touting liberal achievements like a Medicaid expansion with the Republican-controlled legislature.

[ Keith Duggan: Trump's visit to North Carolina his first test of exercise in make-believeOpens in new window ]

Josh Turek (Iowa)

Iowa has elected a Democrat to the Senate for the first time in 18 years. Josh Turek, a Paralympic gold medallist and state legislator, combined a compelling personal story with well-crafted attacks tying Trump’s tariffs and war against Iran to a rise in the cost of living.

But Turek (47), also sought to establish his bipartisan bona fides in a state Trump won by 13 points two years ago. He said he had no interest in impeachment and would work with Trump on immigration.

[ Keith Duggan: Branded 'lazy' by Trump, Turek mounts unexpected challenge in Republican strongholdOpens in new window ]

Troy Jackson (Maine)

Troy Jackson, a long-time state legislator, pitched himself as a fifth-generation logger and labour activist in his win over Susan Collins, a 30-year veteran of the Senate and the last Republican in Congress representing New England.

Jackson, a 58-year-old Bernie Sanders-supporting Democrat from the rural northern part of the state, became the party’s Senate nominee after Graham Platner withdrew. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2026

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