Democrats have seized control of both chambers of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, delivering a sweeping setback to President Donald Trump and reshaping the political landscape for the final two years of his term.
The party’s gains in the House and Senate amount to a decisive rejection of Republican control in Washington, after voters turned out across the country to decide every House seat, 35 Senate races and gubernatorial contests in more than two-thirds of the states.
Democrats overturned Republican-held Senate seats in several traditionally conservative states, including Texas, Kansas and South Carolina. The results marked the first Democratic Senate victories in those states in decades.
The party also won a series of closely watched contests in states including North Carolina, Ohio, Iowa and Maine, helping it secure the Senate majority. Democrat Troy Jackson defeated Republican Susan Collins in Maine, while Sherrod Brown returned to the Senate after defeating Republican Jon Husted in Ohio.
In the House, Democratic victories in districts that had backed Mr Trump in the 2024 presidential election helped the party reach the threshold needed for control of the chamber. The scale of the gains means Republicans will lose their ability to set the legislative agenda across Capitol Hill.
Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic House leader, is expected to become the first Black Speaker of the House if he is formally elected by the chamber. He told supporters at a victory event that “America is back” as Democrats celebrated their return to power.
Democrats’ midterm gains reshape Trump’s final two years
The result leaves Mr Trump facing a Democratic-led Congress for the remainder of his presidency. His administration will now confront congressional opposition over spending, foreign policy, executive actions and investigations.
Democrats also made significant gains in governors’ races. In Texas, Gina Hinojosa defeated incumbent Republican Greg Abbott, becoming the state’s first Democratic governor in decades, while James Talarico won a Senate seat for the party in another historic result.
The elections were fought against a backdrop of voter concern over the cost of living, government corruption and the administration’s record. Mr Trump had campaigned aggressively for Republican candidates and sought to make the midterms a test of support for his presidency.
Instead, the results have left Republicans facing a period of internal reckoning, while Democrats prepare to use their newly won majorities to challenge the president’s agenda and define the direction of national politics before the 2028 presidential election.
