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senator. Kirsten Gillibrand She said she would apply lessons learned from the 2024 elections and other recent cycles in an effort to win a Senate majority for Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections.
“If we’ve learned anything over the past few cycles, if you don’t get on the ground early and talk to voters about what they’re worried about, what the issues are on their tables and then come up with legislative solutions to help them, they’re not going to feel like you have Their support, so it’s about the relationship with the constituents,” the new president said. Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
Gillibrand, a longtime senator from New York who was re-elected in November, was appointed on Monday by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New Yorker, to lead Senate Democrats’ campaign committee for the 2026 cycle.
“Electing more Democrats to the Senate in 2026 is the most important thing we can do to limit the damage from Donald Trump and congressional Republicans and do more for working families,” Schumer said in a statement thing.” “I have worked side by side with Kirsten Gillibrand for nearly two decades and I know she will be an outstanding DSCC Chairman. With her hard work, tenacity and discipline, Senator Gillibrand is the right person to lead our campaign to victory in 2026.”
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New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand leaves a Senate Democrats luncheon in the Mansfield Room of the Capitol on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Gillibrand pledged in a statement, “I will do my best to support our Democratic incumbents, recruit the strongest candidates, and ensure they have all the resources they need to win. I am confident we will protect our Democratic seats, mounting strong challenges in our battleground races,” and looking to expand our efforts into some unexpected states. “
Senator looks ahead to her new mission to win back America Senate majority She noted in an interview with Fox News Digital that her own re-election and her efforts to help House Democrats flip Republican-held seats in the 2024 cycle would at least undermine the 53-47 Republican control of the House.
“I made sure, in my campaign and in the New York House race, that our candidates were out in the community two years before the election talking to voters, talking to them about the things that matter to them. People are worried about crime; Fentanyl and gun trafficking, they also worry about the economy, food costs and housing costs.”
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“We do do the outreach and engagement that really needs to be done in this day and age to make sure that you’re talking about the things that voters want you to do,” Gillibrand emphasized.
Additionally, she said Democrats could learn from President-elect Donald Trump’s 2024 White House Victory.
“President-elect Trump is a formidable candidate. He showed in the last election that he can win over voters in states across the country, not just red states,” Gillibrand noted. “I think it’s important to learn from the lessons of the last cycle.”
President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, Monday, December 16, 2024. (AP/Evan Vucci)
Senate Democrats face an extremely difficult situation in the 2024 cycle as they lose control of their majority. A first look at the 2026 map suggests they will continue to play defense in some states, but also provide opportunities for offense.
That includes the southeastern battleground state of North Carolina.
“If Democrats can get the right candidates in the community early on to talk about the issues that voters care about, there are a lot of places where Democrats can win. States like North Carolina are probably the ones we were very close to last time.” Gillibrand De said. .
There has been much speculation that former Gov. Roy Cooper, who just completed two terms in state office, could run against Republican incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis for the Senate seat.
“North Carolina has some really good candidates, considering the former governor is one of them. That’s the kind of state I’m going to be looking at nationally, states where Democrats have won in the past, their states if they have a candidate who can really Candidates who resonate and work hard to reach voters early, they’re likely to win again,” Gillibrand said.
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Another potential opportunity for Gillibrand could be in blue-leaning Maine, where moderate Republican Susan Collins is up for re-election in 2026.
“Susan is hard to beat,” Gillibrand admitted. But she added, “If we get a good candidate there, then we will be competitive in this race.”
Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The 2026 map also provides Republicans with an opportunity to flip Democratic-controlled seats.
In the swing state of New Hampshire, longtime senator Jeanne Shaheen is up for re-election as ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Sen. Gary Peters, who led the DSCC in the 2022 and 2024 cycles, is up for re-election in the battleground state of Michigan. So did Jon Ossoff, the first-term senator from the swing state of Georgia.
“The great thing about Jean Shaheen is that she’s out in her community every week speaking to people on behalf of people about what she does. She’s got common sense, she’s bipartisan, so I’m optimistic we’re going to keep her seats,” Gillibrand said. “I’m also optimistic about making sure Gary Peters keeps his seat in Michigan. Again, he’s a strong supporter of both parties. He’s constantly working on behalf of Michigan voters to make sure they understand he’s fighting for them. Same thing. , Jon Ossoff started his campaign as a freshman senator last term, and I think he really resonated with Georgia voters.”
