Democrats won control of both the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate in the November 3, 2026 midterm elections, ending unified Republican control of Washington starting with the new Congress on January 3, 2027. As of November 15, 2026, the Associated Press count gives House Democrats at least 256 seats, well above the 218 needed for a majority, and Democrats hold at least 55 Senate seats, with Alaska’s Senate race the last one still uncalled. Below are the seat counts, the races that flipped, the contests still being counted, and what the results mean for business owners and investors.
2026 Midterm Results at a Glance
The 2026 midterms produced one of the largest midterm swings in decades. According to an election-by-the-numbers analysis from the Council on Foreign Relations (published November 10, 2026), Democrats won the national House popular vote by an estimated 13 points, the second-largest midterm margin since 1942. Republicans had entered the election with 53 Senate seats and a narrow House majority.
| Chamber | Democrats | Republicans | Uncalled | Majority needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Senate | 55 (AP/NBC calls) | 44 | 1 (Alaska) | 51 (Vice President JD Vance, a Republican, breaks 50–50 ties) |
| U.S. House (AP called, as of Nov. 13–15, 2026) | 256 | 168 (approx.) | About 11 | 218 |
| U.S. House (NBC News projected final) | 259 | 176 | — | 218 |
Figures are preliminary as of November 15, 2026. Outlets that call races (AP, NBC News, Decision Desk HQ) report slightly different totals because they call races at different times. Official results come only after state certification.
Who Won the Senate in 2026?
Democrats won the Senate majority. NBC News Senate results show Democrats at 55 seats and Republicans at 44 as of November 15, 2026, with only Alaska undecided. That is a net gain of eight seats for Democrats, and it would be nine if Democrat Mary Peltola wins in Alaska. Democrats still fall short of the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster on most legislation.
Senate seats that flipped from Republican to Democrat
Eight Republican-held seats flipped to Democrats, according to NBC News and AP calls. Margins below are approximate, from unofficial counts with roughly 97–100% of the expected vote reported as of mid-November 2026.
| State | Democratic winner | Republican candidate | Approx. margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | Roy Cooper | Michael Whatley | ~19.7 pts |
| Texas | James Talarico | Ken Paxton | ~12.1 pts |
| Maine | Troy Jackson | Sen. Susan Collins | ~6.2 pts |
| Kansas | Adam Hamilton | Sen. Roger Marshall | ~5.0 pts |
| Ohio (special) | Sherrod Brown | Sen. Jon Husted | ~4.8 pts |
| South Carolina | Annie Andrews | Sen. Darline Graham (appointed after Sen. Lindsey Graham’s death in July) | ~4.5 pts |
| Iowa (open) | Josh Turek | Ashley Hinson | ~4.2 pts |
| Mississippi | Scott Colom | Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith | ~0.7 pts |
Several of these were historic. CFR notes that Kansas elected its first Democratic senator in 94 years and Texas its first since 1988. Axios reported that Colom’s win in Mississippi, called more than a week after Election Day, makes him the state’s first Democrat elected to the Senate since 1982. Hyde-Smith’s campaign had said thousands of ballots were still uncounted when the race was called.
Key Senate holds
Republicans held seats including Florida (Ashley Moody, special election, by about 2.9 points), Louisiana (Julia Letlow, by about 1.8 points), Nebraska (Pete Ricketts over independent Dan Osborn), Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama. Democrats held competitive seats in Georgia (Jon Ossoff), Michigan (Abdul El-Sayed, an open seat), New Hampshire (Chris Pappas, an open seat) and Minnesota (Peggy Flanagan, an open seat).
Who Won the House in 2026?
Democrats won the House majority on election night, and their lead has grown as late ballots were counted. Per the Associated Press tally cited by Yahoo News on November 13, 2026, Democrats had won 256 seats, including 45 seats flipped from Republicans, with 11 races still uncalled. NBC News projects a final House of 259 Democrats and 176 Republicans, a Democratic gain of about 44 seats.
According to CFR, that would be the largest House Democratic majority since 1990, but it is still short of the 290 seats (two-thirds) needed to override a presidential veto without Republican votes.
Redistricting did not deliver what either side planned
The 2026 cycle followed an unusual round of mid-decade redistricting in several states. According to CFR, Democrats won all six seats that were redrawn to lean their way (five from California’s new map and one from a court-ordered map in Utah), while Republicans won only two of the 15 seats they had targeted through their own redraws.
Who becomes Speaker?
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York is in line to become Speaker when the 120th Congress convenes on January 3, 2027; the full House elects the Speaker by floor vote that day. He would be the first Black Speaker. On the Republican side, CBS News reported that current Speaker Mike Johnson is not expected to run for minority leader, and that Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Rep. Jim Jordan have entered the race for House GOP leader.
Races Still Uncalled as of November 15, 2026
A small number of contests remain open, mostly because of close margins, mail-ballot deadlines, ranked-choice tabulation or runoffs. None of them change which party controls either chamber.
Alaska Senate
Democrat Mary Peltola leads Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan 49.9% to 46.0% in first-choice votes, with nearly all ballots counted, according to Alaska Public Media. Because no candidate has a majority, Alaska’s ranked-choice tabulation is scheduled for November 18, 2026, after the overseas-ballot deadline, and state certification is slated for November 25. Peltola’s campaign has declared victory; the AP had not called the race as of November 14. If she wins, Democrats would hold 56 seats.
Uncalled House races
- Louisiana 5th and 6th Districts: headed to December 12, 2026 runoffs.
- Close races with Democrats narrowly ahead (as of Nov. 13): Tennessee 4th (where Democrat Victoria Broderick leads Rep. Scott DesJarlais by roughly 280 votes in unofficial results), Minnesota 1st, North Carolina 3rd and North Carolina 5th.
- Close races with Republican incumbents ahead: North Carolina 7th and 10th, California 23rd, and Alaska at-large (Rep. Nick Begich leads, with ranked-choice tabulation also set for November 18).
- California 4th: two Democrats are competing, so the seat stays Democratic either way.
Expect recounts in the closest districts. Margins of a few hundred votes can shift during canvassing and certification.
Governor Races: Democrats Gain a Majority of Governorships
Thirty-six states elected governors. Per CFR, Democrats flipped governorships in Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio and Texas, and held Maine, Michigan and Wisconsin. Democrats will control at least 28 governorships, possibly 30, their first majority of governors in 16 years. Notable winners include Gina Hinojosa in Texas (the first Democratic governor elected there in 32 years), Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia, Amy Acton in Ohio and Deb Haaland in New Mexico. In Alaska, the AP called the governor’s race for Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins on November 13. In Kansas, Democrat Cindy Holscher has claimed victory and leads Republican Ty Masterson by roughly 7,000 votes (about 0.7 points) in unofficial AP counts as of November 14, with a close-race audit underway; treat the result as preliminary until certification.
Why Voters Moved: What the Data Shows
The AP’s voter survey, reported by AP affiliates, found that about 4 in 10 voters named the economy as the top issue facing the country and about 3 in 10 named the state of democracy. About two-thirds of voters said President Trump’s policies had contributed to inflation. Immigration and health care were each named top issues by about 1 in 10 voters.
Leaders on both sides offered their own explanations. President Trump said Republicans lost in part because “I was not on the ballot,” and called the results “a giant step back” for the country, according to CBS News. Vice President JD Vance pointed to the Iran war. Jeffries said voters wanted Congress to “fight for an affordable America,” while Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called the outcome a “generational remake of the Senate map.” CFR puts turnout at at least 123.5 million voters, about 49.1% of eligible voters, the second-highest midterm turnout since 1914.
What the 2026 Midterms Mean for Business Owners and Investors
Starting January 3, 2027, Washington will have divided government: a Republican president and a Democratic Congress. In practice, that typically means:
- Fewer sweeping new laws. Major legislation will need both Democratic votes in Congress and the President’s signature, or 60 Senate votes in many cases. Tax laws already on the books, including the 2025 tax law, stay in place unless changed.
- More oversight. House committees under Democratic chairs are expected to open investigations into executive-branch actions. CBS News reported that the incoming Oversight chair, Rep. Robert Garcia, has named DHS and ICE among his priorities.
- Nominations get harder. A Democratic Senate controls confirmation of judges, cabinet members and agency heads, including any future Federal Reserve nominees.
- A busy lame-duck session. The current Republican Congress still serves until January 3, 2027, and President Trump has urged the Senate to “act” before then. Government funding and other must-pass items could move in November and December.
- Trade and tariffs. Most tariffs were imposed by executive action, so Congress’s leverage depends on legislation that the President can veto. Importers should not assume immediate changes.
For Korean companies and Korean-American entrepreneurs operating in the U.S., the practical message is that rules in force today, on taxes, tariffs and visas, largely remain in force until new legislation or executive action changes them. If you are planning to set up or restructure a U.S. company around these changes, you can talk to USdongsan about setting up a US company.
Key Takeaways
- Democrats won both chambers in the November 3, 2026 midterms; the new Congress begins January 3, 2027.
- Senate: Democrats 55, Republicans 44, with Alaska uncalled as of November 15, 2026 (ranked-choice count on November 18).
- House: AP has called at least 256 seats for Democrats; NBC News projects a final 259–176 split.
- Eight Senate seats flipped to Democrats: NC, TX, ME, KS, OH, SC, IA and MS.
- Democrats lack a 60-seat filibuster-proof Senate and a 290-seat veto-proof House, so divided government means negotiation or gridlock.
- Remaining House races include two Louisiana runoffs on December 12, 2026, and several recount-range contests.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who won the 2026 midterm elections?
Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate. As of November 15, 2026, Democrats hold at least 55 Senate seats and at least 256 House seats, according to AP and NBC News calls.
How many Senate seats did Democrats gain in 2026?
A net gain of eight seats so far (North Carolina, Texas, Maine, Kansas, Ohio, South Carolina, Iowa and Mississippi). It would be nine if Mary Peltola wins the uncalled Alaska race.
When does the new Congress take office?
The 120th Congress is sworn in on January 3, 2027. The House elects its Speaker the same day; Hakeem Jeffries is the Democratic nominee-in-waiting.
Which 2026 races are still not called?
As of mid-November 2026: the Alaska Senate and at-large House seats (ranked-choice count November 18), two Louisiana House runoffs on December 12, and a handful of very close House races in North Carolina, Tennessee, Minnesota and California. The Kansas governor’s race, where Democrat Cindy Holscher leads narrowly, is under a close-race audit.
Can a Democratic Congress override Trump’s vetoes?
Not on its own. Overriding a veto takes two-thirds of both chambers (290 House votes and 67 Senate votes if all seats are filled). Democrats fall short of both, so overrides would need Republican support.
Sources
- NBC News: 2026 Senate election results
- NBC News: 2026 House election results
- Council on Foreign Relations: The 2026 Election by the Numbers
- Yahoo News: Uncalled 2026 races (AP tallies)
- Alaska Public Media: Peltola leads Senate race
- Axios: Colom wins Mississippi Senate race
- CBS News: Midterm election updates
- AP Voter Poll takeaways (via News4JAX)
