About the office
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the U.S. Congress, with 100 senators — two from each of the 50 states — and the 2026 Senate elections will decide the Class 2 third of the chamber. The office is established by Article I, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution.
Senators serve six-year terms, with one-third of the chamber up for election every two years. The 2026 Senate elections cover roughly one-third of the seats (the Class 2 class); voters in those states will choose a senator. There is no constitutional limit on the number of terms a senator may serve.
The Constitution requires senators to be at least 30 years old, U.S. citizens for at least nine years, and residents of the state they represent. Vacancies are filled either by a special election or, in most states, by a temporary appointment from the governor pending the next general election.
The Senate shares legislative authority with the House of Representatives — both chambers must pass identical text before a bill can be sent to the President. The Senate also has unique constitutional roles: it confirms federal judges and senior executive-branch nominees, ratifies treaties by a two-thirds vote, and serves as the trial body in impeachment proceedings.