Midterm Results: Democrats Need Six Seats to Take House
With Republicans defending their House majority and 33 Senate seats up for grabs, the 2026 election hinges on a small number of competitive districts.
By Lauren Bello ·
Voters in all 50 states cast ballots on Tuesday, November 4, 2026, in a contest that will determine which party controls Congress. The outcome will depend on a handful of closely watched races. If either party wins seats they were expected to lose, it signals a strong performance for that night's results.
Democrats held 212 of the 435 House seats before the election. They needed to win 218 seats to take control of the chamber. Republicans entered the night defending their majority. In the Senate, 33 of the 100 seats were up for regular election, plus two special seats. Republicans held the Senate majority prior to the vote. Senators serve six-year terms, while House members serve two-year terms.
Gubernatorial elections were held in 36 states and three territories. Before the election, Republicans and Democrats each held 18 of these governorships. Three incumbent governors retired from office. Results are being reported by the Associated Press. The AP calls a winner when it determines the trailing candidate has no path to victory. This can occur before 100% of votes are counted. Vote totals update throughout the night and in the days that follow.
The legislative process requires most bills to pass both chambers to become law. The House initiates revenue bills and impeaches federal officials. The Senate approves senior presidential appointments and tries impeachment cases. Each state has two senators, regardless of population. This gives Wyoming, with a population under 600,000, the same weight as California, which has nearly 40 million residents.
Voting systems vary by state. In most states, the candidate with the most votes wins. Georgia and Louisiana require 50% of the vote to win; if no one reaches that threshold, a runoff election follows. Maine and Alaska use ranked-choice voting. Voters rank candidates, and if no one receives a majority of first-choice votes, the least-supported candidate is eliminated and their ballots are transferred to the next choice. This continues until a candidate wins a majority.
Some states use top-two primary systems. All candidates compete in the same primary, and the top two vote-getters advance to the general election. These two candidates may belong to the same party. Florida and Ohio are holding special Senate elections. Marco Rubio and JD Vance resigned their seats to join the executive branch after the 2024 presidential election.
Governors are elected by direct vote and serve four-year terms, except in Vermont and New Hampshire, where terms are two years. They implement state laws and can issue executive orders and budgets. The results will determine which party holds the power to initiate legislation and confirm appointments for the next two years.
