On Tuesday, the midterm elections gave Democrats next-session control of both chambers of Congress, capturing the House and Senate in a classic repudiation of the president’s party:
Senate — Democrats appear to hold a majority of 54–44, with two races still undecided:
- Mississippi: Democrat Scott Colom leads incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith by roughly 1,700 votes (~96% counted). A recount is anticipated given the margin; county clerks have ten days to certify.
- Alaska: Democrat Mary Peltola leads incumbent Republican Dan S. Sullivan by roughly 600–650 votes, with tens of thousands of ballots outstanding. Because it is a four-way ranked-choice contest, tabulation may not conclude until after Nov. 18. If Peltola prevails, the Senate would be 55–45.
Either outcome leaves Democrats firmly in control.
House — Democrats have flipped more than two dozen Republican-held seats and are projected to reach approximately 258–259 seats (to roughly 177 for Republicans), up from 214 before the election — a net gain in the neighborhood of 40+ seats. Approximately 30 races remained uncalled as of Friday, concentrated in California, Alaska, Maine, Montana, and Florida.
Governorships — Democrats flipped governorships in Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, and Texas, and now hold more governorships than Republicans for the first time since before 2010.
What Comes Next
- Recount and litigation watch in Mississippi and Alaska; parties on both sides have established recount funds.
- An Alaska legal dispute over a second candidate named Dan Sullivan on the ballot (Dan J., last updated here on Halloween) could extend past the count itself.
- Democratic majorities arrive with subpoena and oversight power, setting up an active investigative agenda against the administration through 2028.
Historical Context
Since 1982, only 1994 (−54) and 2010 (−63) produced larger House losses for the president’s party — and only twice (1998 and 2002) has the president’s party gained House seats at all.
Sources
- NBC News, 2026 Senate results
- NBC News live blog
- CBS News, uncalled races
- NPR, uncalled House races:
- Ballotpedia, 2026 U.S. Congress results
- NCSL, state legislative results
- U.S. House Clerk, historical majority changes
- Historical Context: The American Presidency Project, UC Santa Barbara, “Seats in Congress Gained/Lost by the President’s Party in Mid-Term Elections” (presidency.ucsb.edu); U.S. House Clerk, “Majority Changes in the House of Representatives” (history.house.gov); preliminary 2026 figures from NBC News and CBS News.