Democrats Win Congress and Flip Five Governorships in 2026 Midterms

AMERICA DELIVERS ITS VERDICT: DEMOCRATS WIN CONGRESS AND FLIP FIVE GOVERNORSHIPS IN 2026 U.S. MIDTERM ELECTIONS

Washington / Houston | November 3–4, 2026 | National Election Report

Reported By Tariq Nehal Khan

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WASHINGTON — Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the November 3, 2026 midterm elections, in a night widely viewed as a rebuke of President Donald Trump. NBC News, CBS News and CNN projected that Democrats will hold both the House and the Senate when the new Congress convenes in January, and the party also flipped five governorships, including Texas. The results are a major setback for Trump and the Republican Party, which entered the election controlling both chambers of Congress. Counting continues, and all results remain unofficial until they are canvassed and certified.

National Results at a Glance

Sources: NBC News, CBS News, CNN, AP and ABC News, November 4, 2026. Running tallies differ by outlet (for example, CNBC projected at least 225 House Democrats), and the final House margin is not yet known, and uncalled races remain.

Democrats Retake the Senate

Democrats needed a net gain of four seats to regain the Senate. NBC News reported that they flipped seven Republican-held seats: Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Maine, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas. In Iowa, Josh Turek defeated Rep. Ashley Hinson, a result NBC said clinched the majority. Roy Cooper won North Carolina’s open seat, the state’s first Democratic Senate win since 2008. In Maine, Troy Jackson defeated Sen. Susan Collins, and in South Carolina pediatrician Annie Andrews defeated Sen. Darline Graham. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer declared that Democrats had won the Senate. Roy Cooper defeated Trump-backed Michael Whatley, a former Republican National Committee chairman, in North Carolina, and Collins’s nearly 30-year tenure in Maine came to an end.

Democrats also held ground where Republicans had hoped to gain. Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan’s open seat, defeating former Rep. Mike Rogers with about 52 percent of the vote, and became the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate, according to the AP. Jon Ossoff won reelection in Georgia over Mike Collins, Peggy Flanagan defeated Michele Tafoya in Minnesota, and Chris Pappas defeated John Sununu in New Hampshire, according to CBS News. Races in Alaska and Mississippi remained uncalled as of Wednesday, so the final seat count should be read alongside the latest race calls.

Races called as of November 4, 2026 per AP, NBC News, CBS News and Newsweek. A dash means the opponent was not confirmed in the sources reviewed. Remaining Senate contests were not confirmed here and should be checked against the official canvass.

A Historic Upset in Texas

The most striking Senate result came in Texas, where Democrat James Talarico, a state representative from Austin, defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. Talarico became the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Texas since 1988. NBC’s results page showed him at about 55 percent to Paxton’s 43 percent with roughly 94 percent of the expected vote counted.

Democrat James Talarico (left) and Republican Ken Paxton (right), the candidates in the Texas U.S. Senate race.

House Control Flips

Democrats entered the night with about 214 to 215 seats and needed a net gain of just three to take the House. NBC News reported that Democrats reached the 218 seats needed for a majority, and its latest count showed 231 Democratic seats to 144 Republican, with Democrats poised to win at least 258. CNBC’s desk projected at least 225 Democrats, so the final margin will not be known until every race is called. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is expected to become speaker, and CNN noted he could be the first Black speaker. Republicans had hoped a mid-decade redistricting push would protect their majority, but the effort fell short. Control of the House gives Democrats the ability to set the legislative agenda, control House committees, conduct investigations, issue subpoenas through authorized committees, exercise oversight of federal agencies and the administration, and block or amend legislation.

Selected results only. All 435 districts were on the ballot; a complete district-by-district table requires the final canvass.

Governors: Five Flips Across 36 States

Republicans entered election night with a 26–24 advantage among governors. Democrats flipped five governor’s offices in states Donald Trump carried in 2024 and claimed a majority of governorships for the first time in 16 years, according to NBC News. Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Rick Jackson in Georgia, the first flip there in 24 years. Rob Sand beat Zach Lahn to become Iowa’s first Democratic governor in two decades. Dr. Amy Acton defeated Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio to succeed Gov. Mike DeWine and became Ohio’s first woman elected governor. Aaron Ford, the state attorney general, ousted Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo in Nevada and became the state’s first Black governor. Gina Hinojosa defeated Greg Abbott in Texas. A flipped governor’s office does not mean a state has changed its party affiliation: statewide control also depends on legislatures, Senate representation and congressional districts.

Percentages are NBC News figures near the time of last update, with 90 to 99 percent of expected votes counted in most races. The other governor races were not confirmed in the sources reviewed.

Several other governor’s races produced historic firsts. Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor in the country, and the first time since 2003 that Georgia will have a Democratic governor. Deb Haaland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna and the former Interior Secretary, became the first Native American woman elected governor in U.S. history. For the first time, five Black governors will serve at once: Bottoms, Ford, Crowley, Maryland’s Wes Moore and Florida’s Byron Donalds, a Republican.

Texas Turns Blue at the Top

Democrats made major gains across Texas. Abbott conceded after Hinojosa’s victory and told supporters he had called her to congratulate her. Hinojosa becomes the first Democratic governor of Texas since Ann Richards left office in 1995 and is expected to take office in January 2027. Democrat Vikki Goodwin defeated incumbent Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Democrat Nathan Johnson defeated Mayes Middleton for attorney general, according to the AP. NBC News also projected a Democratic flip of the railroad commissioner’s office, giving the party its first statewide wins in more than three decades. The results are particularly notable because Texas supported Donald Trump by nearly 14 percentage points in 2024.

Governor Elect Texas Gina Hinojosa

Independent Pat Dixon received about 1.5% in the governor’s race. Unofficial results.

Greater Houston and Fort Bend County

Democratic strength extended down the ballot. In Harris County, Dr. Letitia Plummer defeated Republican Orlando Sanchez to become county judge, the first Black woman to hold the office. In Fort Bend County, Democratic state Rep. Dr. Suleman Lalani won reelection in House District 76 over Republican Linda Howell with about two-thirds of the vote. Several other Houston-area congressional results cited in earlier election-night reports were not confirmed in the sources reviewed.

Historic Firsts in the 2026 Elections

• Abdul El-Sayed: first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate (Michigan).
• Keisha Lance Bottoms: first Black woman elected governor in the United States (Georgia).
• Deb Haaland: first Native American woman elected governor in U.S. history (New Mexico).
• David Crowley: first Black governor of Wisconsin.
• Aaron Ford: first Black governor of Nevada.
• Byron Donalds: first Black governor of Florida, a Republican.
• Five Black governors will serve at the same time for the first time in American history.
• Hakeem Jeffries: positioned to become the first Black Speaker of the House, subject to election by the new Democratic majority.
• Letitia Plummer: first Black woman and first Muslim elected Harris County Judge in Texas.

Was the Election a Referendum on President Trump?

The results strongly suggest that the election became a national referendum on Trump’s presidency and policies. Although he was not on the ballot, his administration’s record was central to congressional and gubernatorial contests. CBS News exit polls called the election clearly a referendum on Trump and largely a rejection of his policies. The issues that voters weighed included:

• Cost of living: About six in ten voters told the AP Voter Poll they were personally very concerned about the cost of food and groceries, and majorities of young voters, Latinos and women who backed Democrats said the cost of living was crucial to their vote.
• Gasoline and energy prices: The war with Iran drove up oil and gas prices at a time when household costs were already high, raising concerns about transportation, food distribution and household budgets.
• Healthcare costs: KFF found that 54 percent of midterm voters said Trump administration policies had made their own health care costs worse, while 10 percent said costs had improved. The ABC News Voter Poll found 59 percent of House voters very concerned about the cost of health care.
• The war with Iran: CBS News exit polls found most voters said the decision to take military action against Iran was the wrong one. Vice President JD Vance said after the election that the war was why Republicans lost, and Trump called Vance’s view largely true while saying he would do it again. CBS reported that Trump launched the war in late February.
• Immigration: CBS exit polls found most voters said the administration’s immigration efforts went too far. Voters hold different views on border security and deportations, and Republican campaigns stressed border enforcement while Democrats emphasized civil liberties and the contributions of immigrants. Disagreement over documented policies is distinct from the broader claim that they are exclusionary.
• Treatment of the news media: Trump’s repeated criticism of news organizations fed a wider debate about press freedom and public trust, though available exit polling does not establish it as an independently decisive factor.

The AP Voter Poll also found dissatisfaction with both parties, and Democrats’ edge on the economy was relatively slim, so the results do not mean every voter endorsed the Democratic platform.

What It Means for Trump’s Remaining Two Years

Congressional control does not let Democrats automatically reverse presidential policies. The president retains executive authority, and legislation still faces constitutional and procedural requirements.

Overall Political Assessment

The 2026 midterms delivered three main messages. First, congressional and state elections can change the balance of power significantly even when a president is not on the ballot. Second, affordability, healthcare, economic security and foreign policy were major issues in voters’ decisions. Third, Democratic victories in traditionally Republican territory show that party control cannot be taken for granted, even in states that supported Trump in 2024.

What the Results Mean

With both chambers in Democratic hands, the party will be positioned to set the legislative agenda and lead congressional oversight when the new Congress begins, while Trump remains in the White House for the final two years of his term. Analysts described the outcome as a referendum on his presidency, and the sweep reached deep into territory Republicans have long considered safe. U.S. stock futures recovered from overnight losses after the results became clear, CNN reported.

What Happens Next

• Unofficial results: election officials report preliminary vote totals.
• Canvassing: counties and states verify ballots, reconcile totals and complete required checks.
• Certification: the appropriate election authorities formally certify the results.
• The new Congress convenes on January 3, 2027.

Items Not Confirmed

The following claims from earlier election-night reports could not be verified in current sources and are not stated as fact above: the Texas 9th District result, results for Texas Reps. Vicente Gonzalez and Henry Cuellar, Harris County’s turnout total, the claim that Hinojosa is Texas’s first Latina governor, a statistic that nearly nine in ten voters called the cost of living crucial, and a reported 49 to 30 Democratic advantage on trust to handle healthcare. Earlier seat counts of 53 Democrats to 41 Republicans in the Senate and 205 to 123 in the House were early snapshots and have been replaced by the figures above.

Sources

• Associated Press: national results and AP Voter Poll analysis of why Republicans lost.
• CBS News: live Senate and House results, exit polls and Vance’s comments on the Iran war.
• Reuters and ABC News: results and voter poll findings.
• S. News & World Report, Stateline and Yahoo News: historic firsts in the 2026 elections.
• KFF: health care in the 2026 midterm election.
• Houston Chronicle, KPRC and the Texas Tribune: Texas and Greater Houston results.

SPECIAL NATIONAL ELECTION REPORT

November 4, 2026 · Houston, Texas · National Coverage

Important election-status notice: these are November 4 reported and projected results, not a certified national canvass. Some contests remain uncalled or subject to further counting. Individual district totals and gubernatorial certifications should be checked against state election authorities before final figures are printed.