The 2028 congressional elections: the Senate map, the new district lines and how to plan a run

The 2028 congressional elections are on Tuesday, November 7, 2028, the same day as the presidential election. All 435 House seats are on the ballot, along with 34 Senate seats, the class last elected in 2022. Those Senate seats are currently split 19 Republican and 15 Democratic, according to the 2028 Senate election overview. The bigger story for House candidates is the map itself: several states redrew their districts in the middle of the decade, and an April 2026 Supreme Court ruling changed how the Voting Rights Act protects majority-Black districts.

The 2028 Senate map

The 34 Senate seats up in 2028 are in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. The Ballotpedia 2028 Senate page tracks each race.

Two notes for anyone following the map:

• Florida and Ohio are currently represented by appointed senators, and special elections in 2026 decide who holds those seats going into 2028.
• Presidential-year turnout is the highest of any cycle, so Senate races in 2028 are run in front of a much larger and less predictable electorate than the 2026 midterms.

The House: a map still being redrawn

House districts are normally redrawn once a decade after the census. This decade, several states redrew in 2025 and 2026, and some of those maps are still in court. According to the overview of 2025 to 2026 redistricting:

• Texas enacted a new map in August 2025.
• California voters passed Proposition 50 in November 2025, approving a new map.
• North Carolina and Ohio adopted new maps.
• Florida and Tennessee signed new maps in May 2026. Tennessee's map targets the Memphis-based 9th District, and the plaintiffs challenging it were expected to appeal after a federal judge declined to block it.
• Missouri voters decide this November whether a new map applies in 2028.

The practical point: if you are considering a 2028 House run, do not assume your district looks the way it did in 2024. Get the current map from your state's election office and check whether it is still being litigated before you build a plan around it.

What Louisiana v. Callais changed

On April 29, 2026, the Supreme Court decided Louisiana v. Callais. The Court held that Louisiana's second majority-Black congressional district was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander and that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act did not require it.

For campaigns and communities, the likely effect is that majority-Black districts drawn to comply with Section 2 are more legally vulnerable, and challenges to new maps will be harder to win. Several states moved quickly after the ruling, which is part of why the 2028 map is still in flux. For Black candidates and the organizations that support them, this raises the importance of building coalitions that can win in districts that are more mixed than before.

How to become a federal candidate

Federal campaigns run under Federal Election Commission rules, and the paperwork starts earlier than many first-time candidates expect:

• The $5,000 trigger. You become a candidate under federal law once you raise or spend more than $5,000. You then have 15 days to file a Statement of Candidacy (FEC Form 2).
• Testing the waters. Money raised and spent while you are only exploring a run generally does not count toward that threshold until you decide to run or start actively campaigning. Keep careful records either way.
• Contribution limits. In the 2025 to 2026 cycle an individual can give $3,500 per election to a candidate, with the primary and general counted separately. The FEC adjusts the limits for inflation every two years, and the 2027 to 2028 limits are expected in early 2027.
• Reporting. Campaign committees file regular reports with the FEC. Check the FEC's filing calendar for your race and put every deadline on your campaign calendar the day you register.

Primary dates to confirm now

Most congressional campaigns are decided in the primary, and primary dates vary by state. A few to note:

• Tennessee holds its August primary on the first Thursday in August, which would be August 3, 2028, according to Ballotpedia's explainer on Tennessee's Thursday elections.
• South Carolina law sets the primary on the second Tuesday in June (SC Code 7-13-15), which would be June 13, 2028.
• Florida holds its primary in August.

Confirm your state's exact dates and filing deadlines with your secretary of state or state election commission. Filing deadlines often come months before the primary.

What a congressional race costs

Congressional campaigns cost far more than local races. In recent cycles the average winning House campaign has spent a few million dollars and the average winning Senate campaign tens of millions, according to OpenSecrets, which tracks spending by winners in every race. Open seats and competitive districts cost more. Safe-seat primaries can cost less, but they still require a real budget for staff, voter contact, digital and video.

Advertising is the biggest line for most competitive races. AdImpact projects a record $11.6 billion in political ad spending for the 2026 cycle, including $2.7 billion on connected TV (streaming). Presidential years typically draw even more spending, which means more competition for airtime and attention in 2028. Our guides on political TV ad costs and political digital advertising break down how that money is spent.

A timeline for a 2028 House run

Late 2026 to mid-2027: decide. Study the new district lines, the incumbent's record and the primary electorate. Talk with local leaders, unions, faith communities and potential donors. Track your exploratory spending.

2027: build. Register with the FEC when you cross the $5,000 threshold. Hire a campaign manager and finance director. Build a donor list and start call time. Launch your website and social media with professional photos and a launch video.

Early 2028: qualify and organize. Meet your state's filing deadline. Build a field program and volunteer base. Plan your paid media against the primary calendar.

Primary season: contact voters. Doors, phones, texts, mail and digital, aimed at likely primary voters. Early and absentee voting windows matter as much as Election Day.

After the primary: the general. In a presidential year the November electorate is large. Coordinate with the top of the ticket where it helps, and keep your own message clear where it doesn't.

Frequently asked questions

When are the 2028 congressional elections? Tuesday, November 7, 2028. Primary dates vary by state and fall between March and September.

How many Senate seats are up in 2028? 34 seats, last elected in 2022. Currently 19 are held by Republicans and 15 by Democrats.

Are all House seats up in 2028? Yes. House members serve two-year terms, so all 435 seats are on the ballot every two years.

When do I have to register with the FEC? Within 15 days of raising or spending more than $5,000 as a candidate.

Will my district be the same as in 2024? Not necessarily. Several states redrew their maps in 2025 and 2026, and some maps are still in court. Check with your state election office.

Leo Operations is a Nashville campaign, media and marketing firm. We have filmed and photographed members of Congress, state legislators and local officials, and ran digital and web for a 2026 U.S. Senate campaign in South Carolina. If you are planning a 2028 run, start a conversation with us.