Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate in Tuesday’s midterm elections, according to projections by CBS News and other networks, setting up two years of divided government with President Donald Trump in the White House. Counting continues in several close races.
The Senate
Before the election, Republicans held 53 Senate seats, Democrats 45 and two independents who caucus with Democrats. CBS News projected Democrats would take the majority around 11:35 p.m. ET. WORLD reported Wednesday that Democrats will hold at least 53 seats, and possibly as many as 56, once all races are decided.
CBS News projected Democratic pickups in:
- Texas: James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton, becoming the first Democrat Texas has sent to the Senate in nearly 40 years.
- Ohio: Sherrod Brown.
- North Carolina: Roy Cooper.
- South Carolina: Annie Andrews, the state’s first Democratic senator in nearly three decades.
- Kansas, Iowa, Maine and Michigan: Adam Hamilton, Josh Turek, Troy Jackson and Abdul El-Sayed.
Democrats held seats in Georgia (Jon Ossoff), New Hampshire (Chris Pappas), Minnesota (Peggy Flanagan) and Virginia (Mark Warner). Republicans held Florida, where Ashley Moody won, and Nebraska, where Pete Ricketts won. Races in Alaska, between Sen. Dan Sullivan and Mary Peltola, and Mississippi, between Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Scott Colom, were still too close to call early Wednesday.
The House
Republicans entered the night with 218 House seats to Democrats’ 214. CBS News projected Democrats would win the majority, with about 75 races still undecided as of early Wednesday. Democratic gains included all three Iowa districts named in CBS’s early calls, Pennsylvania’s 1st District, where Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick lost, and Ohio’s 7th, where Republican Rep. Max Miller lost.
Governors
Democrats won governor’s races in Texas, where Gina Hinojosa defeated Gov. Greg Abbott, Georgia, where Keisha Lance Bottoms became the state’s first woman and first Black governor, and Ohio and Iowa, with Amy Acton and Rob Sand. Republican Byron Donalds won the Florida governor’s race.
What leaders are saying
Trump offered “congratulations to the Democrats” in remarks to CBS News and said he would use his veto pen liberally. Senate Republican Leader John Thune wrote on X, “Thankfully, we still have President Trump in the White House.”
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, in line to become speaker, declared, “America is back.” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said, “Relief is on the way.” Before the vote, Jeffries said Democrats would bring several bills to the floor within their first 100 hours in the majority, according to Yahoo News.
What changes in January
The new Congress takes office in January. A Democratic Senate will control which of the president’s judicial and administration nominees are confirmed, and Democratic committees will gain the power to investigate the administration, The Irish Times noted. Republicans can still use the Senate filibuster to block legislation, and the president can veto bills Congress passes. Supporters of the president argue the White House remains a strong check on Democratic plans; Democrats argue voters gave them a mandate to change course.
For the ballot questions decided the same night, see our guide to the 2026 ballot measures, and for how Wall Street reacted, see our markets story.
Why it matters for families
Divided government usually means more negotiation and fewer sweeping changes. Spending bills, health care costs and federal programs that families depend on will now require agreement between a Democratic Congress and a Republican president. Results are not official until states certify them, so check your state election office for final counts in your area.
What to watch next
Watch for final calls in Alaska, Mississippi and roughly 75 House races, the final size of each majority, and leadership elections in both parties. Upstormed News will update the results as they are called.
Read more: Election Day 2026: Courts Settle Last Disputes as Polls Begin Closing at 6 p.m.
What do you most want the new Congress to work on? Share your view respectfully in the comments.
Sources: CBS News, “2026 midterm election results as Democrats decisively win control of House and Senate” (November 4, 2026); WORLD, “Wednesday morning news: November 4, 2026” (November 4, 2026); The Irish Times, “US midterm elections: Results from the House and Senate” (November 4, 2026); Yahoo News, “Midterms 2026 election results and live updates” (November 3, 2026).
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