2026 House Elections: Competitive Races and Candidates

All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are on the ballot in 2026, and the closest contests will determine which party controls the chamber. The general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

This guide tracks the districts rated Toss-up or Lean by the Cook Political Report, along with the major-party candidates advancing to the general election. The list will be revised whenever ratings or candidate status changes.

2026 House elections at a glance

Most competitive 2026 House races and candidates

Table last updated August 20, 2026. Race ratings reflect the Cook Political Report ratings compiled by Ballotpedia as of August 18, 2026.

District	Seat Status / Incumbent	Democratic Candidate	Republican Candidate	Cook Rating
Arizona 1	Open (formerly David Schweikert — R)	Amish Shah	Jay Feely	Toss-up
Arizona 6	Juan Ciscomani (R) — running	JoAnna Mendoza	Juan Ciscomani	Toss-up
California 13	Adam Gray (D) — running	Adam Gray	Kevin Lincoln II	Lean Democratic
California 22	David Valadao (R) — running	Randy Villegas	David Valadao	Toss-up
California 48	Open (formerly Darrell Issa — R)	Marni von Wilpert	Jim Desmond	Lean Democratic
Colorado 8	Gabe Evans (R) — running	Manny Rutinel	Gabe Evans	Toss-up
Florida 14	Kathy Castor (D) — running	Kathy Castor	Mike Beltran	Lean Republican
Florida 22	Open / redrawn district	Pia Dandiya	Casey Askar	Lean Republican
Florida 25	Jared Moskowitz (D) — running	Jared Moskowitz	Scott Singer	Toss-up
Iowa 1	Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) — running	Christina Bohannan	Mariannette Miller-Meeks	Toss-up
Iowa 3	Zach Nunn (R) — running	Sarah Trone Garriott	Zach Nunn	Toss-up
Michigan 7	Tom Barrett (R) — running	William Lawrence	Tom Barrett	Toss-up
Michigan 8	Kristen McDonald Rivet (D) — running	Kristen McDonald Rivet	Thomas J. Smith	Lean Democratic
Michigan 10	Open (formerly John James — R)	Christina Hines	Michael Bouchard	Lean Republican
Nebraska 2	Open (formerly Don Bacon — R)	Denise Powell	Brinker Harding	Lean Democratic
Nevada 3	Susie Lee (D) — running	Susie Lee	Marty O'Donnell	Lean Democratic
New Jersey 7	Thomas Kean Jr. (R) — running	Rebecca Bennett	Thomas Kean Jr.	Toss-up
New Mexico 2	Gabriel Vasquez (D) — running	Gabriel Vasquez	Greg Cunningham	Lean Democratic
New York 3	Tom Suozzi (D) — running	Tom Suozzi	Michael LiPetri Jr.	Lean Democratic
New York 4	Laura Gillen (D) — running	Laura Gillen	Jeanine Driscoll	Lean Democratic
New York 17	Michael Lawler (R) — running	Cait Conley	Michael Lawler	Toss-up
North Carolina 1	Donald Davis (D) — running	Donald Davis	Laurie Buckhout	Lean Republican
North Carolina 11	Open (formerly Chuck Edwards — R)	Jamie Ager	Jennifer Balkcom	Lean Republican
Ohio 7	Max Miller (R) — running	Brian Poindexter	Max Miller	Toss-up
Ohio 9	Marcy Kaptur (D) — running	Marcy Kaptur	Derek Merrin	Toss-up
Pennsylvania 7	Ryan Mackenzie (R) — running	Bob Brooks	Ryan Mackenzie	Toss-up
Pennsylvania 8	Rob Bresnahan Jr. (R) — running	Paige Cognetti	Rob Bresnahan Jr.	Toss-up
Pennsylvania 10	Scott Perry (R) — running	Janelle Stelson	Scott Perry	Toss-up
Texas 15	Monica De La Cruz (R) — running	Bobby Pulido	Monica De La Cruz	Lean Republican
Texas 28	Henry Cuellar (D) — running	Henry Cuellar	Tano Tijerina	Lean Democratic
Texas 34	Vicente Gonzalez Jr. (D) — running	Vicente Gonzalez Jr.	Eric Flores	Toss-up
Virginia 2	Jennifer Kiggans (R) — running	Elaine Luria	Jennifer Kiggans	Toss-up
Washington 3	Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D) — running	Marie Gluesenkamp Perez	John Braun	Toss-up
Wisconsin 3	Derrick Van Orden (R) — running	Rebecca Cooke	Derrick Van Orden	Toss-up

What counts as a competitive House race?

The table focuses on districts rated Toss-up, Lean Democratic, or Lean Republican. A Toss-up rating indicates that neither party has a clear advantage. A Lean rating identifies a modest advantage for one party, but the race remains competitive enough to change hands.

Districts rated Likely or Solid are not included in the primary table. That keeps this page focused on the races most likely to determine control of the House rather than producing an unwieldy list of all 435 contests.

Where the battle for the House is concentrated

Arizona and the West: Open and closely divided districts in Arizona, California, Colorado and Washington provide both parties with realistic opportunities. Several western districts have repeatedly produced close results or were reshaped before the 2026 election.

The industrial Midwest: Iowa, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin contain numerous districts where recent presidential and congressional results moved in different directions. These races will be central to either party’s path to 218 seats.

The Northeast: Competitive seats in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania include suburban districts, open seats and rematches that attracted substantial national attention in 2024.

The South: Redistricting changed the battlefield in Florida, North Carolina and Texas. Several Democratic incumbents now face more Republican-leaning districts, while Republicans must defend a number of closely divided seats elsewhere.

Important open seats to watch

• Arizona District 1: An open Republican-held seat rated Toss-up.
• California District 48: An open Republican-held seat now rated Lean Democratic.
• Michigan District 10: An open Republican-held seat rated Lean Republican.
• Nebraska District 2: The open Omaha-area seat is rated Lean Democratic.
• North Carolina District 11: An open Republican-held seat rated Lean Republican.

Sources and update policy

Candidate and election-status information was compiled from Ballotpedia’s 2026 U.S. House battleground directory, current race ratings from the Cook Political Report, and official election information filed with state agencies and the Federal Election Commission. Ratings are snapshots rather than predictions of final results and will be updated as the campaign changes.