Democrats Projected to Win Control of US House and Senate in Midterm Elections

Democrats are projected to win control of the US House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections, according to NBC News and other US media outlets, marking a major setback for President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. NBC News estimates that Democrats are on course to win at least 248 of the 435 seats in the House, comfortably crossing the 218-seat majority mark. Reuters has also reported the projected Democratic victory, while the Associated Press continues to call individual races. Vote counting is still underway in several states, with a number of closely contested seats yet to be decided. – Democrats projected to win House control: Democrats are projected to take majority control of the House of Representatives, according to US media projections, dealing a major blow to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. – Democrats make major gains in Senate races: Democratic candidates Roy Cooper, Annie Andrews and James Talarico have flipped three of the four Republican-held Senate seats the party needs to gain control of the chamber. – James Talarico wins Texas Senate race: Democrat James Talarico has defeated Trump-backed Republican Ken Paxton, according to media projections. The victory marks a major breakthrough for Democrats in a state that Trump won by 14 percentage points in 2024. -Trump’s approval rating remains under pressure: Trump’s approval rating is hovering near its lowest levels, amid voter dissatisfaction over the war with Iran and the resulting increase in fuel prices. – All House seats and one-third of Senate seats are being contested: The midterm elections will determine control of Congress, with all 435 House seats and around one-third of the Senate’s seats up for election. – Governors’ races and state elections also underway: Around three dozen governor races are being held alongside thousands of state legislative contests and ballot measures across the country. Follow the liveblog for the latest US midterm election results, updates from key battlegrounds, House and Senate seat counts, governor race outcomes, ballot measure results and reactions from candidates and party leaders. Democrat Ro Khanna has won reelection to the US House of Representatives, representing California's 17th Congressional District, according to a race call by the Associated Press. Khanna, a progressive lawmaker who has held the Silicon Valley-based seat since 2017, secured another term by defeating his Republican opponent, Ritesh Tandon. The decisive victory maintains democratic control over the heavily tech-focused district, which spans parts of Santa Clara and Alameda counties. President Donald Trump has said Democrats “did a good job” in the midterm elections after Republicans lost control of the Senate, according to the Associated Press. Trump also blamed Republican candidates for the party’s losses. Democrat Lindsay James has defeated Republican Joe Mitchell to win Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, according to the Associated Press. James, a state legislator and Presbyterian minister from Dubuque, will replace Republican Ashley Hinson, who contested the Senate election. James made her faith a key part of her campaign. Mitchell is a workforce housing developer who previously served in the state Legislature and the first Trump administration. Republican members Mike Mazzei and Larry Rhoden have won the Tuesday election to become governors of Oklahoma and South Dakota, respectively. Mazzei defeated Democrat Cyndi Munson, whereas Rhoden leapt past Democrat Dan Ahlers. Mike Mazzei, a Trump-endorsed representative, served in the state Senate from 2004 to 2016 and later worked as the state budget secretary. Meanwhile, Larry Rhoden is a former member of the state House and Senate. He will continue a run of Republican governors spanning almost 50 years. Democrat Elaine Luria has defeated Republican incumbent Jen Kiggans to win a seat in the US House of Representatives for Virginia's 2nd Congressional District. Before losing to Kiggans in 2022, she served two terms in the House. A Navy veteran, Luria was declared the winner by AP at 11:47 pm EST. She even served on the committee that investigated the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. Democrat Manny Rutiney won election to the US House of Reps representing Colorado's 8th Congressional District. He has defeated Gabe Evans. The Yale Law School graduate's campaign focused on his working-class roots as the son of a single mother who immigrated from Latin America. He is also an Army veteran and former police officer who represented the district for one term. In an interview with the New York Times on Tuesday, President Trump said that he was willing to accept the results of the midterm elections even though his Republican Party was projected to lose control of the US House. The Associated Press has already declared a Democratic win in the US Senate race. "We'll ⁠work with the Democrats, and we’ll, you know, ​look ​forward ⁠to working with them. We’ll ​probably work ​something ⁠out," Trump was quoted as ⁠saying ​by the ​Times. According to The Associated Press, Democrats have won the US Senate, ending Republican dominance in Washington. Some other Democratic winners declared by AP in recent updates includes Josh Turek representing Iowa in the US Senate and Hannah Pingree for Maine governor. Every region in South Carolina also swung to left in the US Senate race, compared to how they voted in the 2024 presidential election. It is still too early to call the House race, but Democrats have already flipped seven seats. Republican Vivek Ramaswamy has spoken out as The Associated Press continues to declare winners of the 2026 US midterm elections. “I have to tell you, I have some serious concerns about the future direction of our country. There’s no avoiding that,” he told supporters at a subdued watch party. “But I do believe that there have been many ups and downs in the history of our country, and we have, in the end, still found our way upward.” The Trump-backed biotech billionaire lost the Ohio governor's race despite the MAGA leader's endorsement, paving the way for Democrat Amy Acton's landmark victory. Democrats have scored key victories in the 2026 US midterm elections, including Senate wins in North Carolina and South Carolina, as they seek to break the Republican Party's hold on Congress. The party is also projected to take control of the House of Representatives. However, the Senate majority remains undecided as counting continues in several closely contested races President Donald Trump responded to the Democrats' projected victory in the US House of Representatives, saying he would have secured a sweeping win had his name been on the ballot. "I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE! Thank you for your attention to this matter," Trump said in a post signed "President DONALD J. TRUMP." Is this conversation helpful so far? The US dollar fell against major currencies as early election results pointed to growing Democratic gains. The euro rose 0.4% to $1.1239, while the British pound gained 0.37% to $1.3464. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of major currencies, fell 0.32% to 101.39. The sharper fall in Nasdaq futures reflects investor concerns that a change in political control could bring tighter regulatory scrutiny of artificial intelligence companies and Big Tech, Chanana said. This comes at a time when investors are already questioning the high valuations of technology companies and the rising cost of AI investments. However, Chanana said the decline in Treasury yields could offer some support to markets. "The initial selloff may not necessarily be sustained," she said. Investors appear to be preparing for a stronger-than-expected performance by Democrats in the midterm elections, according to Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo in Singapore. "Markets appear to be pricing in the possibility of a stronger-than-expected Democratic showing, which could reduce expectations for further fiscal stimulus," Chanana said. Prediction markets have also shown growing expectations of Democrats winning control of both chambers of Congress. More than $1.48 billion has been wagered on the midterm elections, making the vote a major test for these markets. US stock futures declined on Wednesday after Democrats secured early wins in key Senate races, raising the possibility that they could take control of the chamber from President Donald Trump's Republicans. Futures linked to the S&P 500 fell 0.8%, while Nasdaq futures dropped 1.8%. The yield on the benchmark 10-year US Treasury note fell 6 basis points to 4.906%, reflecting stronger demand for government bonds. Investors are assessing what a possible shift in control of Congress could mean for the US economy, government spending and corporate regulation. Democrats have received a boost in Kansas, with CBS News rating both the state's Senate and governor races as leaning in their favour. The development is significant because Kansas has not elected a Democratic senator since 1932. The ratings suggest Democrats could be competitive in a state that has traditionally backed Republicans in statewide elections. Democrats are heading into the later stages of Election Night with several encouraging results, as much of the vote has been counted in the eastern US and polling has closed in key Midwestern battlegrounds. Two Senate races that were expected to be competitive have turned into comfortable Democratic wins. Senator Jon Ossoff has secured re-election in Georgia, while Democrats have also flipped the Republican-held Senate seat in North Carolina. The North Carolina victory is particularly important because it marks the first of the four seat gains Democrats need to take control of the Senate. Attention is now shifting to Republican-held Senate seats in Texas, Kansas and Ohio. In South Carolina, CBS News has rated the Senate race as leaning Democrat, raising the possibility of another major upset. There are also encouraging signs for Democrats in the House of Representatives. While the results suggest that voters may be turning against President Donald Trump and Republicans, counting is still underway and the final picture remains unclear. Republican candidates Jon Husted and Vivek Ramaswamy were yet to arrive at the main Republican election night gathering in Ohio. Husted is running for the US Senate, while Ramaswamy is contesting the governor's race. Supporters at the event were closely following the results on their phones, with early returns showing both Republicans trailing their Democratic challengers. The mood among Ramaswamy's supporters was not particularly upbeat, although the counting is still at an early stage. Democrat Roy Cooper has pledged to work towards ending the US war against Iran and bringing down fuel costs after winning North Carolina's Senate race. In his victory speech, the former governor said he would take on what he described as “chaos and corruption in Washington”. “Chaos and corruption in Washington were hurting our people. Today, you said, ‘This has to stop.’ And, as your new United States senator, I am ready to take that message to Washington,” Cooper said. He added that he would push to make healthcare, housing and groceries more affordable. “We have to work to make healthcare, housing, and groceries more affordable, to end this war and stop the pain at the pump,” he said. Democrats have won 11 Senate seats so far in the US midterm elections, with 20 races still left to be decided. The party needs to win six of the remaining seats to secure a majority in the Senate. The Democratic winners so far are: Democrat Pia Dandiya has defeated Republican Casey Askar to win Florida's 22nd Congressional District, according to The Associated Press. Dandiya, a former school principal, won the newly redrawn seat, which was considered favourable to Republicans. Askar had promised to work with President Donald Trump, who had backed mid-decade redistricting efforts aimed at helping Republicans retain their majority in the House of Representatives. The Associated Press declared Dandiya the winner at 9:11 pm EST. US President Donald Trump is watching the midterm election results with political advisers and members of his Cabinet at the White House. The gathering is taking place in the East Room, according to the White House. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum had earlier confirmed that he planned to attend the election-night reception. He was also with Trump when the president delivered his final message to voters at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, where he spoke about renovation work carried out in Washington under their leadership. Earlier on Tuesday, Trump criticised Fox News in a Truth Social post, complaining that the network was spending “too much time” covering Democratic candidates. The Texas governor's race remains a key contest, with Democrat Gina Hinojosa challenging Republican incumbent Greg Abbott. Early results showed Hinojosa leading with 56% of the vote against Abbott's 42.7%, with 38% of votes counted, according to the Associated Press. Elon Musk also contributed $5 million to Abbott's re-election campaign in September. Abbott entered the contest with a strong fundraising operation and an advertising spending advantage of around five to one over Hinojosa. A Hinojosa victory would be a significant indicator of changing political trends in Texas and potentially across the country. Early Senate results show some of the strongest shifts towards Democrats in traditionally Democratic counties across Appalachia. The movement is visible in mountainous areas of Virginia, including Norton, Wise and Buchanan, as well as eastern Kentucky coal counties such as Breathitt and Floyd. These regions were once strong Democratic bases but have moved towards Republicans over the past few decades. The latest results suggest Democrats are making some gains in areas where the party had lost considerable support. Trump administration officials have warned that non-citizens who illegally voted in the US midterm elections will face action. As polls closed across several states, there were no clear signs of large-scale deployments of federal immigration agents at polling stations, a concern raised by civil rights groups and immigrant advocates before Election Day. However, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin indicated that federal agencies would examine voter records after the elections to identify people suspected of voting illegally. Other administration officials also issued warnings on social media. Democrat James Talarico has won the early vote in Texas by a significant margin. In the state's major metropolitan counties, he is performing around 25 percentage points better than Kamala Harris did in 2024. With only about a quarter of the total vote expected to be cast on Election Day, Republican Ken Paxton will need a strong performance in the remaining voting to close the gap. Democrat Chris Pappas has defeated Republican John E. Sununu in New Hampshire's Senate race, according to the Associated Press. Pappas, who has served four terms in the House of Representatives, becomes the first openly gay man in US history to win a seat in the Senate. Sununu, a former senator who lost re-election in 2008, tried to distance himself from President Donald Trump's MAGA movement. However, he could not overcome opposition to Trump in New Hampshire, a state that has never voted for him in a presidential election.