[VT | November 4, 2026 | Philadelphia PA]
Democrats won majorities in both the U.S. House and Senate in the 2026 midterm election, taking control of both chambers of Congress.
As of 3:20 a.m. ET Wednesday, Democrats had won 225 of the House’s 435 seats, surpassing the 218 needed for a majority, while Republicans had won 136, with 74 seats still uncalled. In the 100-seat Senate, Democrats hold 54 seats, including two independents who caucus with them, while Republicans hold 43, with three seats still uncalled.
Before the election, Republicans held a 218-214 majority in the House and a 53-47 majority in the Senate. Democrats gained seven Senate seats, shifting the majority in both chambers.
The majority party sets the agenda in each chamber. It elects the Speaker of the House, holds the committee chairmanships that decide which bills advance to a vote, and in the Senate controls the confirmation process for the president’s Cabinet nominees and federal judges. With both chambers now led by the party opposite the president, the White House will need to negotiate with Democratic leaders on legislation, the budget and appointments for the remaining two years of President Donald Trump’s term.
The new Congress will be sworn in on January 3, 2027.
