Democrats Sweep 2026 Midterms: Senate and House
Democrats swept both chambers of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, taking the Senate and the House in a night that redrew the balance of power in Washington. Fox News’ live results page, last updated at 1:22 AM ET on November 5, showed Democrats winning 54 Senate seats and 240 House seats — majorities in both chambers, built on a wave of flipped seats from Texas to Maine.
The Associated Press called control of the Senate late on election night and the House early the next morning, confirming a Democratic sweep that few forecasters had predicted in full.
The Senate: Seven Seats Flip
In the Senate, Democrats won 54 seats against 44 for Republicans, with 51 needed for control. Democrats held 34 seats and flipped seven, while Republicans held 31 and lost seven. Two seats — Alaska and Mississippi — were still uncalled at the time of the page’s last update.
The flips came in states across the map. In Texas, Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton 55.08 percent to 42.99 percent, a 12-point margin in a state Republicans had long treated as safe. In South Carolina, Annie Andrews beat incumbent Darline Graham 51.13 percent to 46.65 percent. In Iowa, Josh Turek edged Ashley Hinson 50.51 percent to 46.40 percent.
Kansas delivered another stunner: Adam Hamilton defeated incumbent Sen. Roger Marshall 50.99 percent to 45.99 percent. In Maine, Troy Jackson unseated longtime incumbent Susan Collins 53.41 percent to 46.52 percent. And in Ohio’s special election, former Sen. Sherrod Brown returned to the chamber, defeating incumbent Jon Husted 50.01 percent to 45.15 percent.
Democrats also held the seats they needed to keep. In North Carolina, Roy Cooper won 58.72 percent against Michael Whatley’s 39.09 percent. In Georgia, incumbent Jon Ossoff cruised to reelection with 59.03 percent over Mike Collins’ 40.97 percent. In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed held the open seat with 52.50 percent over Mike Rogers’ 45.49 percent. In New Hampshire, Chris Pappas won 55.96 percent against John Sununu’s 42.16 percent. And in Minnesota, Peggy Flanagan defeated Michele Tafoya 53.71 percent to 43.56 percent, becoming the first Native American woman elected to the Senate.
Republicans managed two notable holds of their own. In Florida’s special election, incumbent Ashley Moody held off Angie Nixon 50.87 percent to 47.99 percent. In Louisiana, Julia Letlow edged Jamie Davis 50.88 percent to 49.12 percent in one of the night’s closest contests.
The House: A 30-Seat Swing
The House told a similar story. Democrats won 240 seats — a gain of 30, with 31 flips — against 147 for Republicans, who lost 30 seats and flipped just one. With 218 needed for control, Democrats cleared the bar comfortably, though not all 435 seats had been called when the page was last updated.
Among the featured calls, former World Series champion Mark Teixeira won a Texas House seat for Republicans, one of the night’s more unusual results. Democrats celebrated wins including Marcy Kaptur in Ohio’s 9th District, Janelle Stelson’s defeat of an incumbent in Pennsylvania’s 10th District, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez’s hold in Washington’s 3rd District.
Two Races Still Too Close to Call
Even after the chambers were decided, two Senate races remained uncalled. In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola led incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan 48.17 percent to 47.88 percent with 75.49 percent of votes reported — a race that could take days to resolve given the state’s slow counting. In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom led incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith 49.01 percent to 48.89 percent with 95.56 percent reporting, a margin of barely a tenth of a point.
The Mississippi race was already drawing legal attention: Marc Elias’ law firm was preparing a legal fight over the still-uncalled contest, according to Fox News, while California Gov. Gavin Newsom was soliciting emergency donations tied to the aftermath.
What Comes Next
The sweep extended beyond Congress. A featured report on the results page said Democrats seized a majority of governors’ offices, reversing a 26-24 Republican edge — a down-ballot result that will shape redistricting and state policy for years.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani publicly praised Abdul El-Sayed’s Michigan Senate win, a sign of the party’s energized left flank celebrating the night’s results. And Fox News reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s job could be at risk after the midterm losses, with the White House said to be weighing changes.
For President Donald Trump, the results set up two years of divided government. He has already congratulated Democrats on their wins and said he accepts the results, pledging to work together for the good of the country. The new Congress will be seated in January, and the first test of the new balance of power will come quickly — with spending bills, nominations and oversight all hanging in the balance.
