Democrats won control of the House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections after flipping more than two dozen Republican-held seats, including long-standing swing districts and constituencies once regarded as safely Republican.
The gains stretched from the suburbs of the north-eastern United States to South Texas. Several races remained unprojected, but the early results showed Democrats making considerably more advances than Republicans under a series of newly redrawn congressional maps.
The contests were shaped by an unusual mid-decade redistricting effort. Republicans in Texas moved several districts to the right at President Trump’s request, while Democrats in California redrew seats to make them more favourable to their party. Other states also altered their maps for partisan reasons.
Democrats overturn Republican majorities
Some of the most striking Democratic victories came in districts where Republican candidates had won comfortably two years earlier.
In Missouri’s 2nd District, Fred Wellman defeated Republican representative Ann Wagner, who had carried the St Louis-area seat by 12 points in 2024. Republicans had sought to make the district slightly more conservative, but the proposed map was rejected by the courts.
Indiana’s 5th District also changed hands after Democrat J.D. Ford defeated Republican representative Victoria Spartz. Ms Spartz had won re-election by more than 18 points in 2024.
In Kentucky’s 6th District, Democrat Zach Dembo won an open-seat contest against Republican Ralph Alvarado. The race had not initially been expected to be competitive, although forecasters had moved it towards the Democrats in the final weeks. Outgoing Republican representative Andy Barr had won the district by 26 points in 2024.
Democrat Mitchell Berman won Wisconsin’s 1st District from Republican representative Bryan Steil, who had first been elected in 2018. The result puts a Democrat in the district for the first time in more than 30 years.
Teresa Benitez-Thompson also secured a significant Democratic gain in Nevada’s 2nd District, becoming the first Democrat to represent northern Nevada in decades. The seat was left open by the retirement of Republican representative Mark Amodei, who had won by almost 19 points in 2024.
Rematches end in Republican defeats
Several Democratic victories came in repeat contests between candidates who had already faced one another.
Janelle Stelson defeated Republican representative Scott Perry in Pennsylvania’s 10th District, centred on the state capital, Harrisburg.
In Virginia’s 2nd District, former Democratic representative Elaine Luria defeated Republican representative Jen Kiggans. Ms Luria had lost to Ms Kiggans in 2022 after redistricting made the district more favourable to Republicans.
The military-heavy district, which includes Virginia Beach and the Eastern Shore, has changed party hands four times since 2008.
Rebecca Cooke ousted Republican representative Derrick Van Orden in Wisconsin’s 3rd District, a closely fought constituency covering parts of the western and central areas of the state.
In Iowa, Democrat Christine Bohannon defeated Republican representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks in their third consecutive contest. Ms Miller-Meeks had first won her seat in 2020 by just six votes and had remained involved in close races since then.
Midwestern states see major changes
Michigan’s congressional delegation will also look markedly different next year. Democrat Sean McCann defeated eight-term Republican representative Bill Huizenga in the 4th District, becoming the first Democrat to represent the western Michigan seat in nearly a century.
William Lawrence won Michigan’s 7th District from Republican representative Tom Barrett in the Lansing area. Mr Lawrence, a progressive candidate, won the Democratic primary after two moderate contenders divided the vote.
Christina Hines defeated Republican Mike Bouchard in Michigan’s 10th District, which had been left open after Republican representative John James launched an unsuccessful campaign for governor.
In Ohio’s 7th District, Democrat Brian Poindexter defeated Republican representative Max Miller. Mr Miller had resisted calls to end his campaign over allegations of domestic abuse involving his former wife and young daughter, which he denied.
Democrats also captured two open Iowa seats. Lindsay James defeated Joe Mitchell in the 2nd District after Republican representative Ashley Hinson’s unsuccessful Senate campaign, while Sarah Trone Garriott unseated Republican representative Zach Nunn in the 3rd.
The Iowa results mean the state will move from an entirely Republican House delegation to one comprising three Democrats and one Republican.
In Nebraska’s 2nd District, Denise Powell defeated Republican Brinker Harding in an Omaha-area seat being vacated by Republican representative Don Bacon, a frequent critic of President Trump.
Texas map produces unexpected results
Texas Republicans had redrawn the state’s House districts with the aim of gaining as many as five seats held by Democrats. In the event, only one redrawn district moved to the Republicans, while Democrats captured two seats that had been regarded as safely Republican.
Republican Jace Yarbrough defeated Democrat Dan Barrios in the Dallas-area 32nd District, the only seat targeted by the map changes that the Republicans successfully flipped.
Democratic candidate Bobby Pulido, a Tejano music star, defeated incumbent Republican representative Monica De La Cruz in the heavily Latino 15th District. The area had moved strongly towards Republicans in 2024 but shifted back to the Democrats amid concerns over the economy and immigration.
The district was redrawn, replacing most of Ms De La Cruz’s previous electorate.
In the 23rd District, Katy Padilla Stout defeated Republican gun-rights personality Brandon Herrera. The district covers hundreds of miles of the US-Mexico border and had previously been considered safely Republican.
The seat became open after moderate Republican representative Tony Gonzales resigned in April. He had admitted an affair with a staff member who later died by suicide.
California Democrats complete targeted gains
California voters approved a redistricting plan after Texas altered its maps, with the aim of moving several House seats to the left. Democrats won all five of the districts they had hoped to capture.
Mike McGuire defeated Republican representative James Gallagher in the 1st District in northern California. Mr Gallagher had won the seat in June following the death of Republican representative Doug LaMalfa, but the new boundaries made his re-election more difficult.
Richard Pan defeated Kevin Kiley in the 6th District. Mr Kiley, a Republican-turned-independent who still caucuses with Republicans, lost a seat that had been substantially redrawn.
In the 22nd District, Randy Villegas defeated Republican representative David Valadao. The result leaves Mr Valadao as the last House Republican who voted to impeach President Trump over the January 6 2021 riot at the US Capitol to leave office.
The district had been made more favourable to Democrats, although it was considered the party’s most difficult target in California.
Linda Sánchez easily defeated Republican Mitch Clemmons in the 41st District after the boundaries were shifted towards Los Angeles and made considerably more Democratic. Republican representative Ken Calvert moved to another district, while Ms Sánchez moved into the 41st from elsewhere.
Marni von Wilpert defeated Republican Jim Desmond in the 48th District in southern California. The seat is being vacated by Republican representative Darrell Issa, who attracted national attention during his time as chairman of the House Oversight Committee during the Obama presidency.
Further Democratic gains
Jamie Ager flipped North Carolina’s 11th District, marking the first Democratic victory there since 2010. He defeated Jennifer Balkcom, who entered the contest less than 90 days before polling day after Republican representative Chuck Edwards ended his campaign amid misconduct allegations.
Manny Rutinel defeated Republican representative Gabe Evans in Colorado’s 8th District, two years after Mr Evans had turned the battleground seat Republican. The district stretches northwards from Denver.
Ben McAdams won Utah’s newly drawn 1st District, which includes Salt Lake City and its suburbs. Court-ordered redistricting created a Democratic-leaning seat after a lengthy legal dispute, giving Democrats their best opportunity in nearly a decade to take one of Utah’s four House districts.
The scale of the Republican losses was particularly notable because many of the contests were fought under maps drawn or redrawn with partisan advantage in mind. With dozens of races still awaiting projections, the final make-up of the House had yet to be established.
