Congress’s defense advocates take big hit in 2026 midterm elections

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks during a press conference with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee on November 03, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tom Brenner/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON — The Democratic wave that swept control of Congress on Tuesday took with it a number of notable defense experts from the House and Senate, with potentially huge consequences for defense policy on Capitol Hill looming.

Results are still flowing in, but Democrats will go into the 120th Congress with at least 228 seats in the House, having picked up 25 so far. NBC News projects that Democrats will ultimately win around 258 seats when all 435 seats have been decided — a decisive margin that gives Democrat leaders in the House a mandate to take bolder legislative action.

Senate races in two states — Alaska and Mississippi — have yet to be called, but as of publication, Democrats have gained seven seats in the upper chamber, taking a 54-44 lead. Even if Democrats take both outstanding seats, the party will lack the 60 votes needed to bypass the filibuster without GOP support.

What does seem clear: Expect major reshufflings of both the House and Senate defense related committees, thanks to a mix of upsets and retirements.

The so-called “blue tsunami” resulted in a loss for Maine Sen. Susan Collins, chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Other GOP lawmakers in the defense world — such as Virginia Rep. Rob Wittman, head of the House Armed Services Committee’s (SASC) tactical air and land subpanel — find themselves still gripped in a competitive fight this morning, with some big defense names in predominantly red states potentially facing a shocking upset.

Meanwhile, Democrat defense leaders — including Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, currently the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, ranking member on the Senate appropriations defense subcommittee, and Washington Rep. Adam Smith, HASC ranking member — all handily won their reelection races and are poised to take over their respective defense committees.

Here’s a breakdown of what happened in the most important defense races:

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Maine: Sen. Susan Collins loses to Troy Jackson

Sen. Susan Collins’s 30-year Senate career ended last night after Democrat challenger Troy Jackson emerged victorious in one of the most dramatic races of the midterms.

As chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Collins is one of the most consequential deciders of the defense budget, having a key role in setting defense and nondefense topline spending levels. Before claiming the gavel, Collins led its defense subcommittee, where she advocated for higher defense budgets and aid for Ukraine. She was one of three Senate Republicans to vote against the confirmation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

ProPublica recently reported that in 2024 the FBI intended to launch a pay-to-play investigation after a former defense contractor told the agency his company had donated to Collins’s political action committee in exchange for winning government contracts in Maine. Collins’s office called the claims “categorically false.”

Jackson is a fifth-generation logger who became the Democratic challenger after Marine Corps veteran Graham Platner withdrew due to allegations of sexual misconduct. He did not make national security issues a centerpiece of his campaign, but listed“No U.S. tax dollars to Israel’s military” as a priority policy on his website.

Virginia: Rep. Rob Wittman vs Shannon Taylor still undecided

The Associated Press has not called the race for Virginia’s 1st Congressional District, but signs don’t look great for Rep. Rob Wittman , who currently sits as chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s (HASC) Tactical Air and Land Subcommittee.

Wittman faces Democratic challenger Shannon Taylor, a prosecutor who centered her campaign on anti-corruption and affordability, who has already claimed victory. With 98 percent of votes in, Taylor leads by about 2 percent, according to the AP.

If Wittman does survive, he will likely make a play to become the HASC’s top republican, should current chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., not seek a waiver to retain his place on the committee. (Under current House GOP rules, Republicans can only spend three consecutive terms as a committee’s chairperson or ranking member without seeking a waiver.)

Reps. Trent Kelly , who leads the seapower subcommittee, and Ronny Jackson , who leads the intelligence and special operations subcommittee, have also expressed interest in the top GOP spot.

Wittman is highly influential on matters concerning the Air Force and Navy, having previously served as the head of HASC’s Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee. He has championed higher defense spending and larger investments in low-cost attritable weaponry.

California: Rep. Ken Calvert vs. Rep. Young Kim still undecided

The intra-GOP battle for California’s 40th Congressional District is still ongoing, with only about 40 percent of votes recorded at the time of publication. Rep. Ken Calvert , chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, currently has a 9 percent lead over fellow Republican Rep. Young Kim. (There is no Democratic challenger in this race, as only the top two vote-getters advance from the primary to the general election.)

As the top House defense appropriator, Calvert has endorsed higher defense spending, and has taken particular interest in efforts to increase defense manufacturing and boost Defense Department organizations aimed at bolstering innovation.

Should Calvert emerge victorious in the midterms, he will need to seek a waiver to remain as HAC-D’s top Republican and has indicated he will do so .

Kim, who was first elected to Congress in 2020, does not sit on any of the congressional defense committees. However, she is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee as the chairwoman of its East Asia and Pacific subcommittee. She is also a member of the House select committee on China.

Rep. Adam Smith defeats Doug Basler: Smith, HASC’s top Democrat, beat Republican challenger Doug Basler for Washington’s 9th Congressional District. With Democrats set to control the House, Smith is poised to once again become HASC chairman.

Rep. Mike Rogers defeats Lee McInnis: The race between HASC Chairman Rogers and Democrat challenger Lee McInnis was not expected to be competitive, and Rogers won handily in Alabama’s solidly Republican 3rd District. Now the big question is whether he seeks a waiver to stay on as HASC’s top Republican.

Rep. Mike Turner vs Kristina Knickerbocker still undecided: Turner, a longtime HASC member and previous chairman of the House intelligence committee, is still locked in a battle for Ohio’s 10th District against Democrat challenger Kristina Knickerbocker. With 98 percent of the votes counted, Knickerbocker is up by about 1 percent, according to the AP .

Rep. Scott DesJarlais vs Victoria Broderick still undecided: The AP hasn’t called the race for Tennessee’s Fourth District, which could be an upset if Democrat challenger Victoria Broderick ousts GOP Rep. DesJarlais, who leads HASC’s strategic forces committee. Broderick is up by only a couple fractions of a percentage point.

Rep. Joe Wilson vs Zyon Khalifa still undecided: Wilson, another longtime HASC member, is still locking horns with Democrat challenger Zyon Khalifa for South Carolina’s 2nd District. Wilson currently leads by 1 percent, according to the AP.

Rep. Jen Kiggans loses to former Rep. Elaine Luria: Former Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria defeated Kiggans, a Republican member of HASC, for Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District. Kiggans is a former Navy helicopter pilot, while Luria is a former naval officer who operated naval reactors onboard warships. Both are strong advocates for shipbuilding.

Rep. Eugene Vindman defeats Douglas Ollivant: Vindman, a Democrat who currently serves on HASC, won a second term representing Virginia’s 7th District after defeating Republican Douglas Ollivant. Both Vindman and Ollivant are retired Army lieutenant colonels who listed veterans’ issues as key priorities.

Rep. Marcy Kaptur defeats Derek Merrin: Kaptur, a Democratic defense appropriator, emerged victorious in Ohio’s 9th District— a seat that Republicans had hoped to flip after recent redistricting made it more GOP-friendly. Kaptur beat Republican Derek Merrin, a former state representative.

Rep. David Valadao vs Randy Villegas still undecided : The race between Valadao, a Republican on the defense appropriations subcommittee, and Democrat Randy Villegas has not been called. Valadao faces the same conundrum as Kaptur, as California’s 22nd District was recently redrawn and is considered a tossup.

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart vs Nicole Locklin still undecided: The AP hasn’t called the race for Florida’s 26 District. With 99 percent of votes in, Diaz-Balart, a House defense appropriator, leads Democrat challenger Nicole Locklin by less than one percent.

Sen. Dan Sullivan vs former Rep. Mary Peltola still undecided: The Associated Press has not yet called Alaska’s Senate race, with Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, a longtime member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, currently leading by less than a percentage point. Sullivan finds himself embroiled in a four-way race with a strange twist. Not only is he taking on former Rep. Mary Peltola, his Democratic challenger, he also faces an independent candidate who shares his name: former schoolteacher Dan J. Sullivan Jr. The Trump administration has sued to block the certification of the race if a Republican loses, citing name confusion.

Former Rep. Mike Rogers loses to Abdul El-Sayed: Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, a public health administrator, won the Michigan senate seat. He beat former Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican and former chairman of the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

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2026年11月3日，参议院少数党领袖查克·舒默（纽约州民主党籍）在华盛顿特区与民主党参议员竞选委员会举行新闻发布会。（图片来源：汤姆·布伦纳/盖蒂图片社）

华盛顿——周二席卷国会的民主党浪潮也带走了众议院和参议院的一些著名国防专家，这可能会对国会山的国防政策产生巨大影响。

虽然计票结果仍在陆续公布，但民主党在第120届国会开始时至少将拥有众议院228个席位，目前已拿下25个席位。NBC新闻预测，当全部435个席位尘埃落定时，民主党最终将赢得约258个席位——这一决定性优势赋予了众议院民主党领导人采取更大胆立法行动的授权。

阿拉斯加州和密西西比州的参议院选举结果尚未出炉，但截至发稿时，民主党已在参议院赢得七个席位，以54比44领先。即便民主党拿下这两个剩余席位，在没有共和党支持的情况下，该党仍无法获得绕过冗长辩论所需的60票。

可以肯定的是：由于一系列意外变动和退休事件，众议院和参议院的国防相关委员会都将进行重大改组。

所谓的“蓝色海啸”导致缅因州参议员、参议院拨款委员会主席苏珊·柯林斯落败。其他国防领域的共和党议员——例如众议院军事委员会战术空地小组委员会主席、弗吉尼亚州众议员罗伯·威特曼——今天上午仍在激烈角逐，一些来自共和党占绝对优势州的国防界重量级人物可能面临令人震惊的意外。

与此同时，包括罗德岛州参议员杰克·里德（现任参议院军事委员会资深成员）、特拉华州参议员克里斯·库恩斯（参议院拨款委员会国防小组委员会资深成员）和华盛顿州众议员亚当·史密斯（众议院军事委员会资深成员）在内的民主党国防领导人，都轻松赢得了连任竞选，并准备接管各自的国防委员会。

以下是几场最重要的国防竞赛的详细情况：

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缅因州：参议员苏珊·柯林斯败给特洛伊·杰克逊

昨晚，民主党挑战者特洛伊·杰克逊在本次中期选举中最激动人心的竞选之一中胜出，苏珊·柯林斯参议员长达 30 年的参议院生涯就此结束。

作为参议院拨款委员会主席，柯林斯是国防预算中最具影响力的决策者之一，在设定国防和非国防开支总额方面发挥着关键作用。在担任主席之前，柯林斯曾领导该委员会的国防小组委员会，并在该小组委员会中倡导增加国防预算和对乌克兰的援助。她是三位投票反对确认皮特·赫格塞斯担任国防部长的共和党参议员之一。

ProPublica 近日报道称，2024 年，一名国防承包商向联邦调查局 (FBI) 举报，称其公司曾向柯林斯的政治行动委员会捐款，以换取在缅因州赢得政府合同。FBI 计划就此展开调查。柯林斯的办公室称这些说法“完全是捏造的”。

杰克逊是第五代伐木工人，在海军陆战队老兵格雷厄姆·普拉特纳因性骚扰指控退出竞选后，他成为民主党挑战者。他没有将国家安全问题作为竞选的核心，但在其网站上将“美国纳税人的钱不用于以色列军方”列为优先政策。

弗吉尼亚州：众议员罗布·威特曼与香农·泰勒的竞选结果仍未确定

美联社尚未宣布弗吉尼亚州第一国会选区的选举结果，但对于现任众议院军事委员会（HASC）战术空地小组委员会主席罗布·威特曼议员来说，形势似乎不太乐观。

维特曼的对手是民主党挑战者香农·泰勒，这位检察官的竞选纲领以反腐败和降低住房负担能力为核心，她已经宣布胜选。据美联社报道，在已统计的98%的选票中，泰勒领先约2个百分点。

如果维特曼能够保住职位，他很可能会力争成为众议院军事委员会的首席共和党成员，前提是现任主席、阿拉巴马州共和党众议员迈克·罗杰斯不申请豁免以继续留在委员会。（根据众议院共和党现行规则，共和党人担任委员会主席或首席成员的任期不得超过三届，除非申请豁免。）

领导海权小组委员会的众议员特伦特·凯利和领导情报和特种作战小组委员会的众议员罗尼·杰克逊也对共和党最高职位表示了兴趣。

维特曼在空军和海军事务上极具影响力，他曾担任众议院军事委员会海权和投送力量小组委员会主席。他一直倡导增加国防开支，并加大对低成本消耗性武器的投资。

加利福尼亚州：众议员肯·卡尔弗特与众议员杨金的竞选结果仍未确定

加州第40选区共和党内部的国会众议员之争仍在进行中，截至发稿时，仅统计了约40%的选票。众议院拨款委员会国防小组委员会主席肯·卡尔弗特议员目前领先同为共和党人的杨金议员9个百分点。（由于只有初选得票最高的两名候选人才能进入大选，因此本次选举没有民主党挑战者。）

作为众议院国防拨款最高负责人，卡尔弗特支持增加国防开支，并且特别关注增加国防制造业和加强国防部旨在促进创新的机构的努力。

如果卡尔弗特在中期选举中获胜，他将需要寻求豁免才能继续担任 HAC-D 的首席共和党人，并且他已表示他会这样做。

金于2020年首次当选国会议员，她并非任何国会国防委员会的成员。然而，她是众议院外交事务委员会的成员，并担任该委员会东亚和太平洋小组委员会主席。她同时也是众议院中国问题特别委员会的成员。

众议员亚当·史密斯击败道格·巴斯勒：作为众议院军事委员会（HASC）的首席民主党成员，史密斯在华盛顿州第九选区击败了共和党挑战者道格·巴斯勒。随着民主党即将掌控众议院，史密斯有望再次出任HASC主席。

众议员迈克·罗杰斯击败李·麦金尼斯：众议院军事委员会主席罗杰斯与民主党挑战者李·麦金尼斯之间的竞选原本预计不会有太大竞争，罗杰斯在阿拉巴马州共和党铁票仓第三选区轻松获胜。现在最大的问题是，他是否会寻求豁免，以继续担任众议院军事委员会的共和党最高领导人。

众议员迈克·特纳与克里斯蒂娜·尼克博克的选情仍未分出胜负：长期担任众议院军事委员会成员、曾任众议院情报委员会主席的特纳，仍在与民主党挑战者克里斯蒂娜·尼克博克争夺俄亥俄州第十选区的席位。据美联社报道，在已统计的98%的选票中，尼克博克领先约1%。

田纳西州第四选区众议员斯科特·德斯贾莱斯与维多利亚·布罗德里克的选情仍未明朗：美联社尚未宣布该选区选举结果。如果民主党挑战者维多利亚·布罗德里克击败共和党众议员德斯贾莱斯，可能会爆出冷门。德斯贾莱斯目前领导着众议院军事委员会的战略部队委员会。布罗德里克的领先优势仅为零点几个百分点。

众议员乔·威尔逊与齐昂·哈利法的选情仍未明朗：威尔逊是众议院军事委员会的另一位资深成员，他仍在与民主党挑战者齐昂·哈利法争夺南卡罗来纳州第二选区的席位。据美联社报道，威尔逊目前领先1个百分点。

众议员珍·基根斯败给前众议员伊莱恩·卢里亚：前民主党众议员伊莱恩·卢里亚击败了共和党籍众议院军事委员会成员基根斯，赢得了弗吉尼亚州第二国会选区的席位。基根斯曾是海军直升机飞行员，而卢里亚曾是海军军官，在军舰上操作过海军反应堆。两人都是造船业的坚定支持者。

众议员尤金·温德曼击败道格拉斯·奥利文特：温德曼是民主党人，目前担任众议院军事委员会委员。他击败共和党人道格拉斯·奥利文特，成功连任弗吉尼亚州第七选区众议员。温德曼和奥利文特都是退役陆军中校，两人都将退伍军人问题列为首要任务。

众议员玛西·卡普图尔击败德里克·梅里恩：民主党国防拨款委员会成员卡普图尔在俄亥俄州第九选区胜出——共和党曾希望在最近的选区重新划分后翻盘该席位，因为重新划分后的选区对共和党更有利。卡普图尔击败了共和党候选人德里克·梅里恩，后者曾任州众议员。

众议员戴维·瓦拉道与兰迪·维勒加斯的选情仍未明朗：共和党籍众议员、国防拨款小组委员会成员瓦拉道与民主党候选人兰迪·维勒加斯之间的选情尚未尘埃落定。瓦拉道面临着与卡普图尔同样的困境，因为加州第22选区近期重新划分，选情胶着。

众议员马里奥·迪亚兹-巴拉特与妮可·洛克林的选情仍未明朗：美联社尚未宣布佛罗里达州第26选区选举结果。在已统计的99%的选票中，众议院国防拨款委员会成员迪亚兹-巴拉特以不到1%的微弱优势领先于民主党挑战者妮可·洛克林。

阿拉斯加州参议员丹·沙利文与前众议员玛丽·佩尔托拉的选情仍未明朗：美联社尚未宣布阿拉斯加州参议员选举结果，共和党参议员丹·沙利文目前仅以不到一个百分点的微弱优势领先。沙利文长期担任参议院军事委员会成员。这场选举的局面颇为复杂，他不仅要面对民主党挑战者、前众议员玛丽·佩尔托拉，还要面对一位与他同名的独立候选人：前教师丹·J·沙利文二世。特朗普政府已提起诉讼，要求如果共和党候选人落败，则阻止选举结果的认证，理由是姓名混淆。

前众议员迈克·罗杰斯败给阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德：民主党人阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德是一位公共卫生管理人员，赢得了密歇根州参议员席位。他击败了共和党人、前众议员迈克·罗杰斯，后者曾任美国众议院常设情报委员会主席。

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