Democrats seek to win Congress as US midterm elections go to the polls on 3 November

Stakes for Congress

Americans will vote on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, to renew all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate. Sources count 470 contests held across the country that day. Republicans currently dominate Congress, but that majority could shift if Democrats take control of one or both chambers. In the Senate, Democrats would need to win four additional seats to regain a majority, so the upper chamber is described as a much harder fight. Winning the House looks feasible, although the outcome there depends partly on gerrymandering, the redistricting that can favour one party.

Trump's final appeal

Donald Trump has tried to turn the 470 contests into a referendum on himself, a move that some Republican candidates had not asked for. He is due to make his closing appeal to voters in a speech in Washington, Monday, 2 November. Coverage of his remarks reported that he called the vote the most important of our lives, after spending about twenty-five minutes praising the renovation of a large pool in the capital. J.D. Vance is campaigning in New York State on the final day of the campaign.

What is at stake for the presidency

Beyond the power to pass new laws, control of Congress could shape Trump's nominations, his budgets and the investigations targeting his administration. Sources list parliamentary inquiries, the Epstein affair, the war in Iran and migration policy among the issues that could complicate the second half of his term. The vote comes two years after Trump's return to the White House, and midterms are held every two years to gauge the popularity of the sitting president. His standing has declined amid the war in Iran and rising cost of living. The 1994 midterms offer a precedent: Republicans won both chambers two years after Bill Clinton took office, forcing the Democratic president to negotiate with them on several reforms.

Californians vote on a billionaire tax

On the same day, Californians will decide on a proposal for a one-time 5% tax on taxpayers with estimated wealth above $1 billion, including stocks. The measure comes from the SEIU-UHW medical union, which responded to health cuts decided by Donald Trump. The union gathered signatures to force a referendum on the question. The proposal is one of the state measures voters will decide alongside the national contests. Its backers link the proposal directly to the health cuts that prompted the union's campaign.