Democrats win US Senate majority and move toward House control in midterms

Democrats flip Senate seats in Republican strongholds

The midterm elections on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, gave Democrats control of the Senate after they won seats in states that Republicans had long held. According to oko.press, the party had 52 seats in its report, enough for a majority in the upper chamber, while votes were still being counted in seven more states. Democrats took seats in Kansas, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas, which oko.press described as Republican bastions. Polityka reported that James Talarico won in Texas, the first Democratic Senate victory there in 36 years, and that the Kansas seat returned to Democrats after 94 years. CNN projected that Susan Collins lost her Maine seat to Democrat Troy Jackson. A 05:31 update in Polityka said Democrats were mathematically certain of a 51-seat majority after winning Iowa.

Certain, per oko.press52

NYT projection, up to55

Certain, per oko.press

52 seats

NYT projection, up to

55 seats

Data from the article text

House control and Republican reactions

Democrats were certain of 202 of the 435 House seats and Republicans of 120, according to oko.press, with the count still under way. The New York Times projected that Democrats would win 255 seats. Speaker Mike Johnson said the night had been difficult for Republicans and that he was disappointed, pledging that his party would regain its majority in 2028. Donald Trump praised Johnson in an interview with Politico, but blamed Texas Governor Greg Abbott for losing to a Democratic challenger, and attacked Fox News in a series of posts. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader who is mentioned as a possible speaker, said voters had rejected extremism and corruption and that his party would target housing, food and fuel costs, and access to doctors. Former Republican congressman Charlie Dent argued that the result was a rejection of Republicans and the president rather than an endorsement of Democrats.

Democrats, certain (oko.press)202

Republicans, certain (oko.press)120

Democrats, NYT projection255

Democrats, certain (oko.press)

202 seats

Republicans, certain (oko.press)

120 seats

Democrats, NYT projection

255 seats

Data from the article text

Trump on the Iran war and the losses

Trump told The Wall Street Journal that the conflict with Iran, which has run since February, was one of the factors behind the results. In the same interview he said he did not regret starting the war and would do the same again, arguing that the heaviest political burden was the rise in oil prices caused by the fighting. He told the Financial Times that things were going the way the United States wanted and that Washington had no plans for a strike on Iran in the near future. Trump also said Republicans lost partly because he had not been on the ballot, and that candidates he had backed, including Senator Darline Graham of South Carolina, had lost. He said he would accept the election results and did not dispute their validity.

Limited US strikes reported near Iran

Axios reported on Monday, 2 November, that the administration was weighing three options toward Iran: a deal, a resumption of combat, or sustained maximum economic pressure. The Wall Street Journal reported that US forces struck the Iranian island of Qeshm on Monday, 2 November, in an attack of limited scale that the paper said had been carried out in secret. Officials described such strikes as defensive, meant to stop Iran from attacking merchant ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Unlike the earlier phase of the war, the United States did not publicly announce these attacks. One official cited by the WSJ said the secrecy was intended to avoid suggesting a return to large-scale military operations. Media reports said Trump could order renewed strikes on Iran after the midterms.

What comes next

Democrats will control both chambers of Congress from January 2027, which could let them block Trump's legislation and his nominations, including to the Supreme Court, where conservatives hold a majority. Trump said he expected to work with Democrats but could use his veto if needed, and posted a photo of a cap reading veto on Truth Social. He also said he planned no personnel changes in his administration and backed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, whom he described in positive terms. Counting continues in several states, and results from Alaska will come later because of its ranked-choice voting system.