Last updated Thursday, 5 November 2026. Counts are still moving, so figures below are tied to the source and time they were reported.
Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in Tuesday’s midterm elections, according to projections from CBS News. The House was called on Tuesday night. The Senate followed within about an hour of midnight Eastern time. If the projections hold, it ends unified Republican control in Washington and gives Democrats a platform to check President Donald Trump for the second half of his term.
The results at a glance
| Chamber | Outcome | Source and timing |
|---|---|---|
| US House | Democrats win control | CBS News projection at 10:29 p.m. ET on 3 November; about 75 races were still undetermined at 4:18 a.m. on 4 November |
| US Senate | Democrats win control, flipping it from Republicans | CBS News projection, 11:46 p.m. ET on 3 November |
| Senate seat count | At least 54 Democratic seats | CBS News, 6:10 p.m. ET on 4 November; Alaska and Mississippi still uncalled |
Seat totals in the House are the least settled part of the picture. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries told supporters his party expected “at least 255 seats,” but that is his projection, not a certified count. Republicans entered the election with a narrow majority, and a party needs 218 of 435 seats to control the chamber. Readers who want a running tally should check the Associated Press and the clerk of the House once counting finishes.
How the Senate flipped
Republicans held a 53-47 Senate majority before the vote, so Democrats needed a net gain of four seats. CBS reports they flipped seven: Texas, South Carolina, Kansas, Maine, Iowa, Ohio and North Carolina. Democrats also held Georgia and New Hampshire.
Several of those results are striking on their own. In Texas, Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton, and Northeastern University’s election coverage described it as the first statewide win for a Democrat in Texas in 32 years. In North Carolina, former governor Roy Cooper beat Republican Michael Whatley, a call attributed to the AP. In Georgia, Sen. Jon Ossoff won re-election over Rep. Mike Collins. In Michigan, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed won the open seat, which we cover in a separate profile.
Two contests were still undecided when CBS last updated: Alaska, where Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan faces Democrat Mary Peltola, and Mississippi, where Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith faces Democrat Scott Colom. CBS rated both as toss-ups on Wednesday morning. Those results will determine how large the Senate majority becomes, not who holds it.
House races that stood out
CBS called a run of Republican-held seats for Democrats. Among them: Michigan’s 7th, where William Lawrence beat Rep. Tom Barrett; California’s 22nd, where Randy Villegas defeated Rep. David Valadao; Iowa’s 1st, where Christina Bohannan unseated Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks; Texas’s 15th, where Bobby Pulido beat Rep. Monica De La Cruz; and Pennsylvania’s 1st, where Bob Harvie defeated Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick. CNN reported that at least three Florida districts redrawn to favour Republicans went to Democrats, according to Northeastern’s summary.
Races still uncalled in CBS’s early Wednesday list included districts in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Montana, North Carolina, New York, Virginia and Washington. Some may have been decided since, so treat that list as a snapshot.
Why it happened: what analysts say, and what they don’t
Political scientists quoted by Northeastern University tied the result to voter frustration over the war with Iran, gas prices, inflation, tariffs and immigration enforcement. Costas Panagopoulos called the outcome “a full-blown repudiation of Trump and GOP policies.” Martha Johnson was more cautious, pointing to weak Republican candidates in some states and warning the results do not clearly endorse the Democratic agenda. Historically, the president’s party loses about 25 House seats in a midterm, on average, so a swing of this kind is not unusual in direction, though the scale will be judged once counting ends.
It is worth keeping the evidence and the interpretation apart. Vote counts and projections are facts. Explanations for voter behaviour are arguments, and they usually sharpen only after exit polling and precinct data are published. Trump posted that Republicans would have won “in a landslide” had he been on the ballot, a claim that cannot be tested.
What happens next
New members are sworn in when the next Congress convenes in January. Jeffries has announced a bid for Speaker, and CBS reports that if elected, he would be the first Black Speaker. In the Senate, Chuck Schumer said he would “entangle” Trump in “legislative razor wire” if the president defies “the will of the American people or the law.” Governors’ races also produced firsts: Keisha Lance Bottoms was projected to win Georgia, and Byron Donalds to win Florida.
A split between a Republican White House and a Democratic Congress usually means fewer bills passed and more oversight, including hearings and subpoenas, as well as fights over spending and nominations. How that plays out will depend on final margins, which the AP and state election officials will confirm over the coming days and weeks.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the 2026 midterm elections?
Democrats won control of the House and the Senate, according to CBS News projections made on election night. Final seat counts were still being updated on 5 November.
How many seats did Democrats need in the Senate?
Republicans began the night with 53 seats to the Democrats’ 47, so Democrats needed a net gain of four for a majority.
Are any races still undecided?
Yes. As of CBS’s 6:10 p.m. ET update on 4 November, the Alaska and Mississippi Senate races were uncalled, along with a number of House seats.
Sources: CBS News House and Senate live updates (4 November 2026); CBS News, “Democrats win majority in the Senate”; Northeastern University, “2026 midterm election results: Who won the key House and Senate races?”; Associated Press results via the AP election data feed. Figures are attributed to the outlet that reported them and may change.
Sources and Editorial Notes
Elivestory aims to use relevant sources, separate confirmed information from speculation and update important details when reliable new information becomes available.
Sarah Jay
Sarah Jay is a journalist, fact-checker, and writer who creates well-researched articles using information from credible and trusted sources. She combines verified facts with thoughtful analysis, offering readers clear, balanced, and insightful perspectives on the topics she covers.
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