Princeton Incumbent Representatives Sweep the 2026 Midterms

All six Princeton alumni running for re-election in U.S. Congressional races — five Democrats and one Republican — cruised to victory Tuesday with double-digit leads. Meanwhile, three Princeton challengers — two Republicans and one Democrat — failed to make inroads with voters amid a national “blue wave” that restored Democrats’ control of both chambers of Congress for the first time since 2023.

Senate

Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley *82 secured his fourth term with a comfortable margin of 16 percentage points. At 70, Merkley had briefly considered retiring but ultimately decided to run again “to stop Trump’s authoritarian assault on our nation.” (KATU)

House of Representatives 

Herb Conaway ’85, D-N.J., secured a second term in New Jersey’s 3^rd district after urging voters to stop the MAGA movement. (New Jersey Monitor)

Glenn Ivey ’83, D-Md., won in a landslide in Maryland’s 4^th district. This will be his third term. (Newsday)

Terri Sewell ’86, D-Ala., secured her ninth term in Alabama’s 7^th district, pledging to focus on affordability, healthcare, and voting rights, according to her statement Tuesday night. (Alabama Political Reporter)

George Whitesides ’96, D-Calif., secured a second term in California’s 27^th district. The former CEO of the commercial space tourism company Virgin Galactic has pushed for AI regulation and oversight in education and in the U.S. military during his tenure. (The Santa Clarita Valley Signal)The Santa Clarita Valley Signal

Vince Fong *03, R-Calif., won his second term in California’s 20^th district. He is the only Princeton Republican to win his U.S. Congressional race in the 2026 midterms. Fong, who has supported the war in Iran, said in a statement that he will focus on “lowering gas prices by expanding domestic energy production.” (Bakersfield.com)

Doug Chapin ’85, D-Minn., lost his race to House Majority Whip Tom Emmer in Minnesota’s 6^th district. Chapin, a political newcomer and adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota, ran a progressive agenda on Medicare for All, immigration reform, and withholding aid from Israel. (St. Cloud Times)

James Hayes *85, R-Pa., lost his rematch with incumbent Summer Lee in Pennsylvania's 12th district. During his campaign, Hayes stated his support for the war in Iran and the responsible development of data centers.(CBS News)

Riley Owen ’23, R-Utah, faced an overwhelming defeat against Democratic challenger Ben McAdams, who flipped Utah’s 1^st district after a recent redistricting reform effort favored the Democratic Party in the Salt Lake City region. Owen, a 28-year-old Navy Reserve intelligence officer, ran a campaign that had hoped to remake the Republican Party for Gen Z voters. (The Salt Lake Tribune)

Other Races

Andrea Campbell ’04, D-Mass., was re-elected as attorney general of Massachusetts. First elected back in 2022, she is the first Black woman to hold the position. (Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly)