Who won the midterms? Democrats did, in both chambers. With Election Day on November 3 now behind us, NBC News, CBS News and ABC News all project that Democrats have won control of the House and the Senate. The Associated Press also reported the Senate result late on Tuesday night. A handful of races are still being counted.
Key facts (as of November 4, 2026)
- NBC News counts 54 Senate seats for Democrats and 44 for Republicans, with Alaska and Mississippi not yet called (9:46 a.m. ET, November 4).
- In the House, NBC News has called 231 seats for Democrats and 144 for Republicans so far. A majority is 218.
- Democrats flipped seven Republican-held Senate seats, according to NBC News: Iowa, Kansas, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas.
Democrats win control of the House and Senate, networks project
Who won the midterms in the Senate?
Democrats will hold at least 54 of the 100 seats in January, based on NBC News' count, up from 47 before the vote. That is three more than the 51 needed. As a result, the two open races can't change who controls the chamber. PBS published the AP's report that Democrats had retaken the Senate at 11:40 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
Seven seats changed hands, all from Republican to Democratic. The table uses NBC News' vote shares as of Wednesday morning, so the final margins may still move a little.
| State | Winner | Defeated | Vote share (NBC News, Nov 4) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | James Talarico (D) | Ken Paxton (R) | 55.1% to 43.0% |
| North Carolina | Roy Cooper (D) | Michael Whatley (R) | 58.7% to 39.1% |
| Maine | Troy Jackson (D) | Sen. Susan Collins (R) | 53.8% to 46.1% |
| Kansas | Adam Hamilton (D) | Sen. Roger Marshall (R) | 50.9% to 46.1% |
| South Carolina | Annie Andrews (D) | Graham (R) | 51.1% to 46.7% |
| Ohio (special) | Sherrod Brown (D) | Sen. Jon Husted (R) | 50.0% to 45.2% |
| Iowa | Josh Turek (D) | Rep. Ashley Hinson (R) | 50.5% to 46.4% |
Republicans also kept several seats they were defending. For example, Sen. Pete Ricketts held Nebraska against independent Dan Osborn, Ashley Moody won Florida's special election, and Harriet Hageman won the open seat in Wyoming. On the Democratic side, Jon Ossoff held Georgia, Chris Pappas beat former Sen. John Sununu in New Hampshire, Abdul El-Sayed beat Mike Rogers in Michigan and Peggy Flanagan won Minnesota.
Who won the midterms in the House?
Democrats also won the House, according to NBC News, CBS News and ABC News. As of 9:46 a.m. ET on Wednesday, NBC's Decision Desk had called 231 seats for Democrats and 144 for Republicans, a net gain of 29 seats so far. That leaves 60 seats without a projected winner.
NBC's House model estimates that Democrats will end up with about 258 seats. However, that figure is a statistical estimate, not a count, so the tracker above shows called seats only. For context, Republicans went into the election holding the House 218 to 214.
Many of the gains came in battleground districts. Pennsylvania alone saw four Republican incumbents lose, including Brian Fitzpatrick to Bob Harvie and Scott Perry in the 10th District, per NBC's projections. Democrats also picked up Iowa's 1st and 3rd districts and New Jersey's 7th, where Rebecca Bennett beat Rep. Tom Kean Jr.
Which races are still being counted?
Two Senate races and dozens of House seats are still open. In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom and Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith were both on 48.9% with 95.6% of the expected vote in, NBC News showed. NBC Chicago, citing NBC News projections, put the gap at just 43 votes on Wednesday morning. Because the state has no recount law, our Mississippi Senate race explainer walks through the ballots still out and the dates that matter.
Alaska has more ballots left to count: about 80,000, NBC Chicago reported with the AP. With 74.3% in, Democrat Mary Peltola had 48.2% and Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan 47.9%, per NBC News. Meanwhile, the race also carries a dispute over the presence of another Dan Sullivan on the ballot, which our Alaska Senate race explainer covers in detail.
In the House, uncalled seats include Arizona's 1st and 6th, California's 22nd, Maine's 2nd and New York's 17th. States that count many mail ballots after Election Day, such as California, often take days to finish.
How did both parties react?
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said "against all odds, we Democrats have won the Senate," CBS News reported. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who will lose that title in January, said on X that he was proud of his conference's record and that Senate Republicans would push back on the new majority with the president's help, according to the same live blog.
President Trump congratulated Democrats and said they "did a good job," ABC News reported. He also told CBS News he would work with them, though he would not hesitate to use his veto. Separately, he wrote on social media that he was not on the ballot, NBC Chicago noted. On the House side, NBC News describes Hakeem Jeffries as on course to become Speaker.
What happens next now we know who won?
First, states finish counting and certify their results on their own timetables over the coming weeks. Close races may also go to a recount under each state's rules. Until then, the current Congress, with Republican majorities in both chambers, stays in place for a lame-duck session.
Then the new Congress is sworn in at noon on January 3, 2027, as the 20th Amendment sets out. The House elects its Speaker that day, and Senate Democrats pick their majority leader. We will keep the midterm results and forecast hub updated as the last races are called.
How to watch election night live and the results coverage
The networks are still projecting races, so live coverage continues through the week. Our guide to watching midterm results live lists the free and paid options. For uninterrupted coverage with no commentary, the C-SPAN live stream guide explains where to find it. If you prefer a cable network, see how to stream CNN live or Fox News live.
Readers in Britain and Europe can follow our guide to the US midterms from the UK and Europe, which covers the time difference and local channels. You can also browse all our election coverage.
Coming soon: the NewsLive streaming app. We're building one subscription for live international news on Android, Roku, Fire TV and desktop. The service is under development. See what the NewsLive app will offer and join the early-access list.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the midterms in 2026?
Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate, according to projections by NBC News, CBS News and ABC News. The AP also reported the Senate result. A few individual races are still uncalled.
How many seats did Democrats gain?
In the Senate, Democrats flipped seven seats, NBC News reports. In the House, NBC counted a net gain of 29 seats as of Wednesday morning, with 60 races still open, so that number will change.
When will Alaska and Mississippi be called?
There is no set time. Both are within a fraction of a point, so networks will wait until enough ballots are counted. Alaska may take longer because many more of its ballots are still to be counted.
