Czechia holds Senate election for 27 of 81 seats on 9 and 10 October

Voting day: Sat, Oct 10, 2026 (in 3 days) · Updated Oct 7, 06:01 GMT+1

Czechia elects 27 of the 81 members of the Senate, the upper house of parliament, on 9 and 10 October 2026. Opposition parties hold a majority there and defend 26 of the seats. ANO, the governing party of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, defends one.

The Senate before the vote

Voted on now: 27Not up for election: 54

ODS, TOP 099 / 30
STAN10 / 17
ANO1 / 15
KDU-ČSL3 / 12
SEN 21, Piráti3 / 5
Unaffiliated0 / 1
Vacant1 / 1

Source: Senát Parlamentu České republiky, Oct 6, 2026

Voting days: 9 and 10 October 2026
Polls close: Sat, Oct 10, 13:00 GMT+1
First results: Counting starts when polling stations close on 10 October
Elected: 27 of the 81 senators, one per district, for six-year terms
Decided by: More than 50% of valid votes in a district, or a runoff of the top two on 16 and 17 October
Takes office: Oath at the first Senate session after the election

Who is running

The governing parties face the opposition. ANO, the right-wing populist party of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, has a group of 15 in the 81-seat Senate. It defends one seat and aims to come close to winning ten.

Opposition parties defend the other 26 seats. The Mayors and Independents (STAN), led by Vít Rakušan, defend 11. The joint group of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), the party of former prime minister Petr Fiala, and TOP 09 defends nine. The Christian Democrats (KDU-ČSL) and the group of SEN 21 and the Pirates defend three each.

In all, 154 candidates stand, and 23 of the 27 sitting senators seek re-election. Christian Democrat leader Jan Grolich, governor of the South Moravian region, runs in the Vyškov district.

How the vote works

Each of the 27 districts elects one senator for six years. A candidate who wins more than 50% of the valid votes is elected in the first round. Otherwise the top two meet in a second round a week later, and the one with more votes wins.

Polling stations open on Friday 9 October from 14:00 to 22:00 and on Saturday 10 October from 08:00 to 14:00 local time. Elections to more than 6,000 city and municipal councils are held on the same two days.

How the race got here

Babiš has led the government since December 2025. ANO governs with two smaller parties, the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) and the Motorists. Neither has a senator.

The Senate has a say in legislation and can block changes to the constitution. If it rejects a bill, the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house, can override it with 101 votes. ANO wants more senators to ease the passage of coalition laws. Opposition parties call the Senate a needed counterweight.

Registration of candidates closed on 21 August 2026. Opposition parties agreed on joint candidates in many districts. On 1 October 2026 the government survived a no-confidence vote in the Chamber of Deputies: 83 deputies backed the opposition motion, and 101 were needed.

What happens next

Counting starts as soon as polling stations close at 14:00 local time on 10 October. Where no candidate wins outright, the second round is held on 16 and 17 October at the same hours.

The four parties of the former governing coalition need four seats to hold a Senate majority. ANO and SPD would need to win all 27 districts. Elected senators take the oath at the first Senate session after the election.

The districts and their candidates

3ChebCandidates: 6Held by: STANMiroslav Plevný
- Miroslav PlevnýSTAN · Sitting senator
- Vladimír KeblúšekNČ
- Pavel HojdaKSČM
- Sandra TsoukernikANO
- Štěpánka ČernáVOK
- Ivan ReisSPD
6LounyCandidates: 6Held by: STANIvo Trešl
- Vladislav HrbáčekSPD
- Jiří KobzaStačilo!
- Leo SteinerJsmePRO!
- Ivana HluštíkováZelení+Piráti
- Ivo TrešlSTAN · Sitting senator
- Jaroslav MikolášANO
9Plzeň-městoCandidates: 8Held by: ODS, TOP 09Lumír Aschenbrenner
- Jaroslav NovákJaSaN
- Lumír AschenbrennerODS+Koruna Česká+TOP 09 · Sitting senator
- Daniela PouskováPRO PLZEŇ
- Bohumír JanskýSEN 21
- Karel ŘehkaSTAN
- Jiří ValentaKSČM
- Lucie KantorováANO
- Július LíškaSPD
12StrakoniceCandidates: 3Held by: ODS, TOP 09Tomáš Fiala
- Jana HrdinováKDU-ČSL
- Tomáš FialaNČ · Sitting senator
- Miroslav UšatýSvobodní+SPD+Trikolora
15PelhřimovCandidates: 6Held by: ODS, TOP 09Jaroslav Chalupský
- Jaroslav ChalupskýHSR · Sitting senator
- Pavel HodáčKSČM
- Ladislav MedKDU-ČSL+ODS+STAN+TOP 09+STO
- Lucie Pavlů ŘádováSPD
- Michal KozárANO
- Karolína KubiskováVÝZVA
18PříbramCandidates: 6Held by: STANPetr Štěpánek
- Petr ŠtěpánekSTAN · Sitting senator
- Barbora DaňhováANO
- Pavel VermachSMS
- Josef ŠornaSPD+PRO
- Simona LuftováZelení+Piráti
- Frank Thomas Podstatzky-LichtensteinČZS
21Praha 5Candidates: 7Held by: SEN 21, PirátiVáclav Láska
- Lubomír BrožANO
- Zdeněk ŠarapatkaPiráti+TOP 09+LES
- Václav LáskaSEN 21 · Sitting senator
- Ľubomír AugustínPŘÍSAHA
- Pavel SpirovSPD
- Radko SáblíkKDU-ČSL+ODS+STAN
- Petra ProkšanováKSČM
24Praha 9Candidates: 5Held by: STANDavid Smoljak
- Darina BatyiováKruh
- David SmoljakKDU-ČSL+Zelení+STAN+Piráti+TOP 09 · Sitting senator
- Bedřich LaubeSvobodní+SPD+Trikolora+PRO
- Radek ŽaludANO
- Dagmar PeckováODS
27Praha 1Candidates: 9Held by: ODS, TOP 09Miroslava Němcová
- Jiří MorštadtGenerace
- Pavel ČižinskýLevice
- Jan ŠternTEAM
- Vojtěch RyvolaGEN
- Ján DudraANO
- Jiří Pavel PešekŠvýcarská dem.
- Jiří PadevětODS+STAN+Piráti+TOP 09
- Jan ČižinskýKDU-ČSL+Zelení+PRAHA SOBĚ
- Vladimír KolmanSOCDEM
30KladnoCandidates: 6Held by: SEN 21, PirátiAdéla Sucharda Šípová
- Jan KlasNČ
- Adéla Sucharda ŠípováZelení+STAN+Piráti+TOP 09+SEN 21 · Sitting senator
- Jaroslav PelcPŘÍSAHA
- Marcela MachalováSPD
- Petr PatákODS
- Aleš GerlochANO
33DěčínCandidates: 5Held by: Vacant
- Jan SkalickýPRO
- Anna LehkáMÍSTNÍ HNHRM
- Zbyněk LinhartSTAN+SLK
- Michal HejcmanANO
- Miroslav ŠtrossZelení+Piráti+SEN 21
36Česká LípaCandidates: 5Held by: STANJiří Vosecký
- Vít VomáčkaODS
- Jiří VoseckýNK · Sitting senator
- Jitka VolfováANO
- Leoš HamrskýKSČM
- Martin PůtaSLK
39TrutnovCandidates: 4Held by: STANJan Sobotka
- Radek MrázSPD
- Jan SobotkaSTAN · Sitting senator
- Zuzana ChovancováANO
- Hynek BeranPRO
42KolínCandidates: 7Held by: STANPavel Kárník
- Andrea BrzobohatáANO
- Pavel SehnalAPB
- Roman SchulzODS+TOP 09
- František TřeštikJaSaN
- Jiří RynekrKSČM
- Antonín DušekSPD
- Michael KašparSTAN
45Hradec KrálovéCandidates: 7Held by: SEN 21, PirátiJan Holásek
- Monika NebeskáNK
- Vladimír DrymlČSSD
- Jana HůlkováANO
- Ivan PicekSPD
- Jan HolásekVPM+HP+MY+RH+NČ · Sitting senator
- Zuzana Ceralová PetrofováODS
- Martin DvořákZelení+STAN+Piráti+TOP 09+HDK
48Rychnov nad KněžnouCandidates: 2Held by: ODS, TOP 09Jan Grulich
- Petr SadovskýANO
- Jan GrulichKDU-ČSL+ODS+STAN+Piráti+TOP 09+LES · Sitting senator
51Žďár nad SázavouCandidates: 5Held by: KDU-ČSLJosef Klement
- Radek KotenSPD
- Josef KlementKDU-ČSL · Sitting senator
- Michal ŠmardaSOM+Volt+HR
- Radek ČernýODS+Piráti+STO
- David MoosSD-SN
54ZnojmoCandidates: 6Held by: ODS, TOP 09Tomáš Třetina
- Jindřich RůžičkaNK
- Tomáš TřetinaKDU-ČSL+ODS+STAN+Piráti+TOP 09 · Sitting senator
- Jiří KyněraANO
- Petra Rédová FajmonováStačilo!
- Bohumila BeranováHR
- Pavel ČernýPŘÍSAHA
57VyškovCandidates: 3Held by: STANKarel Zitterbart
- Jaroslav FládrPŘÍSAHA
- Jan GrolichKDU-ČSL
- Petra AbsolonováANO
60Brno-městoCandidates: 6Held by: ODS, TOP 09Zdeněk Papoušek
- Zdeněk PapoušekKDU-ČSL+ODS+Piráti+TOP 09+Fakt Brno · Sitting senator
- Klára Alžběta SamkováStačilo!
- Veronika HolcnerováKruh
- Jaroslav ŠtěrbaANO
- Karel ZitterbartSTAN
- Jaroslav TuránekSPD
63PřerovCandidates: 4Held by: KDU-ČSLJitka Seitlová
- Marek ObrtelČSNS
- Petr VránaANO
- Jakub NavaříkKDU-ČSL+ODS+STAN+TOP 09
- Dan ChromecSPD
66LitovelCandidates: 5Held by: STANMarek Ošťádal
- Michael KohajdaKDU-ČSL
- Pavel JelínekSPD
- Martin ŠkurekANO
- Zdeněk BeilLevice
- Marek Ošťádal24/7 · Sitting senator
69Frýdek-MístekCandidates: 7Held by: STANHelena Pešatová
- Petr HrnčárekKSČM
- Petr KorčNMFM
- Nela LiskováNEZLOMNÍ
- René HomporaŠvýcarská dem.
- Tomáš KrpelSPD
- Helena PešatováSTAN+Piráti+TOP 09 · Sitting senator
- Zdeněk NavrátilEvo
72Ostrava-městoCandidates: 7Held by: ODS, TOP 09Ondřej Šimetka
- Milan LopraisSPD+PRO
- Petr JančíkOstravak
- Ondřej ŠimetkaKDU-ČSL+ODS+STAN+Piráti+TOP 09 · Sitting senator
- Lucie Baránková VilamováANO
- Radoslav ŠtědroňŠvýcarská dem.
- Radek IwoniakČSSD
- Štefan RežnýReMeK
75KarvináCandidates: 7Held by: ANOOndřej Feber
- Aleš PoláchODS+Soukromníci
- Mariam SzyjaZelení+STAN+Piráti+TOP 09+SEN 21
- Pavel StaněkSPD
- Karel SvětničkaJaSaN
- Lenka BrzyszkowskáANO
- Roman GaliaSOCDEM
- Petr KazíkOK
78ZlínCandidates: 6Held by: ODS, TOP 09Tomáš Goláň
- Lubomír NečasSPD
- Tomáš GoláňKDU-ČSL+ODS+TOP 09 · Sitting senator
- Jan DolečekKSČM
- Vladimír SedlaříkANO
- Ivo MitáčekSTAN
- Pavel DlouhýSEN 21
81Uherské HradištěCandidates: 6Held by: KDU-ČSLJosef Bazala
- Otakar BřezinaSD-SN
- Kristýna ZelienkováZVUK 12
- David SkybaSPD
- Jiří VašicaANO
- Margita BalaštíkováHOČ
- Josef BazalaKDU-ČSL · Sitting senator

Source: Český statistický úřad, Sep 15, 2026

Latest news

Sep 22 A total of 154 candidates registered for the 27 Senate seats, the fewest since 1998, according to the Czech Statistical Office. Deník

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