Democrat Mark Warner won reelection to the U.S. Senate from Virginia on November 3, 2026, defeating Republican Bert Mizusawa, according to The Associated Press. The victory gives the incumbent a fourth term and keeps the seat in Democratic hands.
AP declared Warner the winner at 7 p.m. Eastern, as voting ended across Virginia. FOX 5 DC subsequently reported the result, identifying Mizusawa as the retired Army major general who challenged the longtime senator.
The race call establishes the reported winner, but it is separate from Virginia’s official certification process. The state Department of Elections continues to classify the November 3 general election results as unofficial.
Mark Warner Wins a Fourth Senate Term
Warner first won election to the Senate in 2008 and secured reelection in 2014 and 2020. This year’s result adds another term to a political career that also included service as Virginia’s governor.
He governed from 2002 through 2006 before moving to the Senate. His official biography describes an earlier business career in technology and telecommunications, including helping establish the company that became Nextel.
In the Senate, Mark Warner serves as vice chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence. His official biography also lists assignments on the Finance, Banking, Budget and Rules committees.
Those are his current roles, rather than a guarantee of the committee leadership arrangements in the next Congress. The Virginia result returns Warner to the chamber; it does not by itself determine which party will control the Senate.
Mizusawa Challenged the Democratic Incumbent
Mizusawa brought a long military background to the Republican campaign. FOX 5 DC reported that his service spanned 41 years and included four combat tours, and that he received the Silver Star.
The station also reported that his experience included work on the Senate’s professional staff, an appointment as deputy undersecretary of the Army and service as a senior adviser at the Central Intelligence Agency.
The initial reports reviewed for this article did not include a verified concession statement from Mizusawa or a victory speech from Warner. No remarks from either candidate are quoted here.
Why a Race Call Is Different From Certification
AP says it declares winners when its decision team determines that trailing candidates no longer have a path to victory. Its process examines incoming returns alongside information about outstanding ballots and how jurisdictions count their votes.
A call can therefore come before every ballot has been tabulated. AP’s explanation also distinguishes its decisions from a candidate’s victory announcement or concession: campaign statements do not automatically determine when the organization calls a race.
Virginia’s Department of Elections results page explains the separate official process. Statewide contests become official after the State Board of Elections certifies the election.
The department links to the November 3 returns under its unofficial-results heading. That designation concerns the status of election administration and should not be confused with whether a news organization has called the winner.
What Happens Next
Mark Warner’s victory preserves an existing Democratic seat rather than flipping a Republican-held seat. Senate control depends on the combined outcomes of other contests, so this result alone does not establish a national majority.
Senators are elected to six-year terms, with roughly one-third of the chamber facing voters every two years, according to the Senate’s official explanation. The Constitution sets January 3 as the start of senators’ succeeding terms.
Final vote totals, percentages and the margin are not included because a reliable numerical snapshot could not be verified during preparation. AP’s winner declaration is reported separately from those still-needed figures.
The next official milestone is state certification. Updated returns and any verified candidate statements will provide additional detail about Mark Warner’s reelection as Virginia completes its post-election process.
