The key facts

  • Mark Warner won a fourth six-year Senate term, defeating Republican Burt Mizusawa
  • This is the first declared decision in a Senate race of the 2026 midterm elections
  • The victory keeps the seat with Democrats, who need a net gain of four seats to control the Senate

First declared result in the Senate elections

Incumbent Democratic Senator Mark Warner has won the U.S. Senate election in Virginia, defeating Republican Burt Mizusawa. According to the Associated Press, this is the first Senate race whose outcome was declared on midterm election night. Warner, 71, a former governor of Virginia first elected to the Senate in 2008, has won a fourth six-year term. He serves as vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

What the result means for the Senate balance

Mizusawa, a retired U.S. Army major general, built his campaign on his military experience and his ties to President Donald Trump. Warner's victory allows Democrats to hold this Senate seat in their effort to overturn the Republican majority. Before the election, Republicans controlled 53 of the chamber's 100 seats, while Democrats held 45 plus two independent senators who caucus with them; Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control of the Senate.