Democrats win control of House and Senate in 2026 midterms

Democrats won sweeping majorities in both the House and the Senate in the 2026 midterm elections, as voters turned away from President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, according to Vox. The New York Times reported that Democrats cleared 250 House seats, with its live results page showing 253 Democratic seats to 160 Republican seats in the House, and 54 Democratic seats to 50 Republican seats in the Senate. The Times also reported that Democrats held leads in the uncalled Senate races in Mississippi and Alaska.

State-level gains

Democrats gained hundreds of seats in state legislatures across the country, according to The Guardian. The party gained 258 state legislative seats nationwide, created six new governing trifectas, claimed 11 legislative chambers from the GOP, and broke Republican supermajorities in 10 states, according to Chaz Nuttycombe, executive director of State Navigate, as cited by The Guardian. Democrats will control the Texas state house for the first time since 2002, and regained trifectas in Michigan and Minnesota. The party also won the governorship in Texas, where Gina Hinojosa defeated Greg Abbott.

What comes next

Rahm Emanuel, a former White House chief of staff and member of Congress, spoke with Vox about how Democrats should think about their midterms success and what they should do with their new power in 2027. Emanuel led the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2006 and helped steer the Democratic House majority from 2007 to 2009 as Democratic caucus chair.

Why it matters

The Democratic victories give the party control of both chambers of Congress for the first time in years, along with expanded power in state governments. According to The Guardian, about 76% of the country’s population will live under a Democratic governor, and about half will be represented by one of the party’s lawmakers in their legislature. The results also position Democrats to potentially advance an alternative to the Electoral College through the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, as several states where Democrats gained control could join the agreement, according to The New York Times.

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Sources

• vox.com: 2026 midterm results: Rahm Emanuel knows how congressional Democrats can keep winning in 2027 | Vox
• nytimes.com: Midterm Elections Live Updates: Democrats Clear 250 House Seats in Decisive Power Shift - The New York Times
• theguardian.com: Not just Congress: Democrats’ blue wave washes over state legislatures across US | US midterm elections 2026 | The Guardian
• abc7news.com: 2026 midterm elections: Democrats projected to win enough seats to gain control of the House - ABC7 San Francisco

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.