Jack Reed beat Republican Raymond McKay to win a sixth term in the Senate, a seat he has held since 1997.
Jack Reed is Rhode Island’s senior senator and one of the Senate’s leading voices on defense. He is the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Reed’s path to the Senate ran through the Army. He graduated from West Point, served as an Army officer, including with the 82nd Airborne Division, and later taught at West Point. He also earned graduate degrees from Harvard, including a law degree.
He served in Rhode Island’s state Senate, then spent three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, from 1991 to 1997. Voters then sent him to the Senate, and he has held the seat for nearly 30 years.
On Tuesday, Reed defeated Raymond McKay, his Republican challenger; an independent candidate, Michael Bahry, also ran. The Associated Press called the race at 8:04 p.m. ET, minutes after Rhode Island’s polls closed.
His win matters because Reed’s long experience on defense issues carries weight in both parties. Watch the Armed Services Committee, where he will stay a central figure in debates over the military budget.
Fast facts
- Age: 76
- Party: Democratic
- Office: U.S. Senator
- State: Rhode Island
- Previous job: U.S. Representative for Rhode Island (1991–1997)
- Called by AP: 8:04 p.m. ET, Nov. 3, 2026
Part of the Zark News Election 2026 winners profile series. Winners are listed as called by the Associated Press.
