Democrats Win Control of House and Senate in 2026 Midterm Elections

Democrats won majorities in both chambers of Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections, flipping seven Senate seats and at least 29 House seats, according to NBC News projections. The results end unified Republican control of Washington for the final two years of President Donald Trump's term.

Nov 04, 2026 - 08:20

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Democrats won control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in Tuesday's midterm elections, according to projections by NBC News and other major news organizations, ending unified Republican control of Washington and giving the party the power to check President Donald Trump during the final two years of his term.

NBC News reported early Wednesday, Nov. 4, that Democrats flipped seven Senate seats, in Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Maine, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas, and that its Decision Desk estimates the party will win at least 258 House seats, well above the 218 needed for a majority. Going into the election, Republicans held 219 House seats, including one independent who caucuses with the party, and Democrats held 214, with two seats vacant, CBS News reported. Democrats needed a net gain of just three seats to win the chamber.

The House: a majority larger than needed

As of Wednesday morning, the NBC News results page showed Democrats had been projected to win 231 seats and Republicans 144, with Democrats flipping 29 seats. CBS News estimated that Democrats could win 259 seats, though it said the final number could be lower and that about 75 races had yet to be determined. In an NBC News analysis, senior congressional reporter Scott Wong wrote that the new majority could be the party's largest in nearly two decades.

Several Republican incumbents were defeated. NBC News reported that four GOP members from Pennsylvania lost, including Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, who was beaten by Democrat Bob Harvie, and Rep. Scott Perry, who lost to Democrat Janelle Stelson. Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, chairman of the House GOP's campaign arm, lost to Democrat Richard Ojeda II, NBC reported. CBS News projected that Rep. Victoria Spartz lost to Democrat J.D. Ford in Indiana's 5th District. In New York, Rep. Mike Lawler conceded to Democrat Cait Conley before CBS News had projected a winner, telling supporters, "it's going to be pretty clear we're going to be short."

The nonpartisan election site Ballotpedia reported that, as of 1:30 a.m. ET, 14 House Republicans and no Democrats had lost their re-election bids. It said that if current leads hold, Democrats will have gained a net of 15 seats across the nine states that redrew congressional maps between the 2024 and 2026 elections.

The Senate: seven Democratic gains

Ballotpedia reported that all seven Senate seats Democrats gained are in states Trump won in 2024, and that four Republican senators lost re-election. In Texas, James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton, becoming the first Democrat to win a statewide election in Texas since 1994, according to Ballotpedia. In Maine, Troy Jackson defeated Sen. Susan Collins, who was seeking a sixth term. Former Sen. Sherrod Brown defeated Sen. Jon Husted in Ohio's special election, and former Gov. Roy Cooper defeated Michael Whatley for an open seat in North Carolina. Ballotpedia also reported that Adam Hamilton defeated Sen. Roger Marshall in Kansas, Josh Turek defeated Ashley Hinson in Iowa, and Annie Andrews defeated Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina.

Ballotpedia reported that Democrats will hold at least 54 Senate seats to 44 for Republicans. According to CNBC, the races in Alaska, where Democrat Mary Peltola is challenging Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, and Mississippi, where Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith faces Democrat Scott Colom, had not been called as of early Wednesday.

Governors and voters' concerns

In governor's races, NBC News reported that Democrats flipped Texas, Georgia, Nevada, Ohio and Iowa and clinched a majority of governorships for the first time in 16 years. In Texas, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa defeated Gov. Greg Abbott, and in Georgia, Keisha Lance Bottoms will become the first Black woman elected governor in U.S. history, according to NBC News and Ballotpedia. The Guardian's results tracker showed Democrats with 28 governorships and Republicans with 20, with 34 of 36 races called.

CBS News reported that Trump's approval rating stood at 38% in exit polls, historically low for a president in a midterm, and that 89% of voters said the cost of living was a major or crucial factor in their vote. The NBC News Exit Poll, which surveyed more than 79,000 voters, pointed to concerns about the economy, shifts among key voting blocs including Latinos and Black men, and a rejection of Trump himself.

Reactions and what comes next

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who is expected to become the first Black speaker of the House when the new Congress convenes Jan. 3, told supporters in Washington that "the American people have spoken and made clear they've had enough of the extremism, enough of the corruption," NBC News reported. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said early Wednesday, "We're going to deliver for the people of America with or without the president."

Trump posted an image of a red cap bearing the word "VETO" on Truth Social overnight and told The New York Times that his administration will "work with the Democrats," CNBC reported.

With the House majority, Democrats will control committees and gain subpoena power, NBC News reported. Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, issued a two-word statement, "Lawyer up," according to CBS News CBS reported that Garcia plans to investigate the Trump family's business dealings, the administration's immigration enforcement and the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Jeffries has said Democrats will prioritize reversing Medicaid cuts, extending Affordable Care Act credits, restoring congressional authority over tariffs and stopping the war with Iran, NBC News reported. On impeachment, Jeffries told NBC's "Meet the Press" that Democrats "haven't ruled anything in and we haven't ruled anything out."

Vote counting continues in dozens of House races and in the two uncalled Senate contests.