Democrats Capture Both House and Senate in 2026 Midterm Upset

The 2026 midterm elections concluded with a decisive victory for the Democratic Party, which secured control of both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. This outcome is widely interpreted as a significant backlash against President Donald Trump and his administration's policies. Major news networks called the House for the Democrats just before 10 p.m. Eastern Time, with CNN, NBC News, and CBS News following suit within minutes. The Senate flip was projected by NewsNation around 11:20 p.m. ET, with CNN confirming the party had won at least 51 seats at 11:35 p.m. ET, thereby locking in a voting majority.

One of the most high-profile contests was the Senate race in Texas, where former state representative James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. The campaign was the most expensive in U.S. Senate history, with an estimated $573.2 million spent on political advertising. Elon Musk contributed $168 million to support Paxton, according to CNN. In his victory speech, Talarico declared that the party had taken back Texas and sent a message to wealthy donors, stating that power belongs to the people rather than trillionaire megadonors.

Democrats also secured victories in several other critical Senate races. In North Carolina, Roy Cooper defeated Michael Whatley, while Annie Andrews won in South Carolina against Darline Graham, the sister of the late Lindsey Graham. Adam Hamilton won in Kansas, becoming the state's first Democratic senator in nearly nine decades. Additionally, Sherrod Brown defeated incumbent Jon Husted in Ohio, and Josh Turek flipped Iowa's open seat in a win over Representative Ashley Hinson. In Maine, Troy Jackson unseated Republican incumbent Senator Susan Collins. The only major Senate race that remained too close to call was the contest between Dr. Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan.

Political commentators described the results as a seismic shift in Washington. Van Jones, a CNN political commentator and former Obama adviser, called the results a repudiation of Trumpism. Rachel Maddow of MS NOW characterized the House win as a major change in the political landscape. With the Democratic Party retaking the House, Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who won reelection, is positioned to become the next Speaker of the House.

The surge in Democratic support coincided with a sharp decline in President Trump's approval ratings. By November 3, only 37% of U.S. voters approved of his performance, a figure near his lowest recorded level. This drop occurred amid rising gas and grocery prices and an unpopular war with Iran. Trump had campaigned vigorously for Republican candidates in recent weeks, urging voters in battleground states to act as if he were on the ballot.

In his post-election statement on Truth Social, Trump claimed that he would have won in a landslide if he had been on the ballot. He also criticized Fox News, suggesting the network bore responsibility for the losses by consistently featuring the Democratic opposition. Despite these comments, Trump told the New York Times that he was willing to accept the results and expressed optimism about working with the new Democratic leadership in Congress.

Beyond the federal legislature, Democrats made significant gains in gubernatorial races. Keisha Lance Bottoms won the governorship in Georgia, making history as the first Black woman to hold the office in the United States. In Ohio, Amy Acton defeated former presidential candidate and Trump ally Vivek Ramaswamy. Furthermore, Gina Hinojosa defeated incumbent Greg Abbott in the Texas governor's race, marking another key state flip for the Democratic Party.