The Midterm This page is the front door to our coverage. It tracks the races that decide the majority, the candidates who ran in them, the issues that drove the vote, and the results as they are called.
Polls have closed: where the count stands
Polls closed on the night of November 3, 2026, and the count settled by the next day. Democrats won both chambers. The Associated Press called the House for the Democrats, and called four Republican-held Senate seats — Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, and Maine — for a 51–49 Senate majority. Democrats also won a majority of governorships for the first time in 16 years.
| Contest | Result |
|---|---|
| U.S. House | Democratic majority — AP |
| U.S. Senate | Democratic majority, 51–49 — AP |
| Governors | Democrats 28, Republicans 20; Alaska and Kansas uncalled |
Start with the calls themselves, or go straight to the chamber that matters to you:
- Live results: every call, with outlet and date
- Senate results, seat by seat — why Maine and Michigan decide the majority
- House results and the majority math
- Governor results, 36 races
A handful of House districts are still being counted, and two governor races nationally remain uncalled. None of it changes which party controls either chamber. What comes next is certification: county canvasses, then a state sign-off, running through November and December. The certification calendar explains that sequence, and the results hub explains why a race call is not the official result. We do not publish a vote total without naming the source and the time.
The 2026 midterms at a glance
| Item | What is on the ballot |
|---|---|
| Election Day | Tuesday, November 3, 2026 |
| U.S. House | All 435 seats |
| U.S. Senate | 35 seats, including special elections in Florida and Ohio |
| Governor | 36 states |
| State legislatures | Thousands of seats across the country |
| Ballot measures | Varies by state and locality |
New to this? Start with The 2026 Midterms, Explained, then read what midterm elections are, why they matter, and the balance of power.
The balance of power
House: Going into the election, Republicans held 218 seats, Democrats 214, one independent caucused with Republicans, and two seats were vacant. A party needs 218 for a majority. The Associated Press called the chamber for the Democrats, who needed a net gain of about three seats depending on how the vacancies were filled. The House results page explains the math; the House hub tracks the districts.
Senate: Republicans held 53 seats and Democrats 47, so Democrats needed a net gain of four to reach 51. They won exactly four — Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, and Maine — and held Georgia and Michigan, for a 51–49 majority. The margin is the story: a 50–50 chamber would still have been controlled by Republicans, because the vice president breaks tie votes. The Senate results page has the seat-by-seat detail, and the governors hub covers the 36 state races, where Democrats won a majority.
Those numbers are the reason a handful of states get most of the attention. In the Senate, the path to a majority runs through Texas, Maine, Michigan, Georgia, North Carolina, and Ohio. In the House, the battlefield is spread across a few dozen suburban and redistricted districts. In the governors' races, the biggest fights are in Georgia, Nevada, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Ohio.
Key races to watch
| Race | Matchup | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Senate | Ken Paxton (R) vs. James Talarico (D) | A Republican-held seat in a state Democrats have targeted; a flip would force Republicans to defend seats elsewhere. |
| Maine Senate | Susan Collins (R) vs. Troy Jackson (D) | A longtime incumbent in a state that leans Democratic in presidential years. |
| Michigan Senate | Mike Rogers (R) vs. Abdul El-Sayed (D) | An open seat in a premier swing state. |
| Georgia Senate | Mike Collins (R) vs. Jon Ossoff (D) | Democrats are defending an incumbent in a state that decides national majorities. |
| North Carolina Senate | Michael Whatley (R) vs. Roy Cooper (D) | A term-limited governor versus a former party chair in a fast-changing state. |
| Ohio Senate | Jon Husted (R) vs. Sherrod Brown (D) | A special election rematch with national implications. |
All matchups are based on late-October 2026 reporting. Candidates, ratings, and poll numbers change; every race page carries its own last-updated date and sources. For the calls themselves, start at the live results page; the results hub explains why a race call is not a certification.
What voters say matters
Pew Research Center's late-September and early-October 2026 survey found that voters rank the economy first, followed by the future of democracy, health care, education, and immigration. The ranking hides sharp partisan differences: Republicans put immigration and violent crime at the top, while Democrats put climate and investigations into Trump at the top. Abortion is a higher priority for Democrats than for Republicans, but it is not the top issue for either coalition.
We use those priorities to organize our issue coverage:
- The economy and the 2026 midterms
- Immigration and the 2026 midterms
- Abortion and the 2026 midterms
- The future of democracy
How to vote
The rules depend on where you live. Start with our national voting guide, then open your state guide for registration deadlines, early voting dates, mail ballot rules, ID requirements, and polling hours.
- How to vote in Texas
- How to vote in California
- How to vote in Florida
- How to vote in Georgia
- How to vote in Maine
- How to vote in Michigan
- How to vote in North Carolina
- How to vote in Ohio
If your state is not listed yet, use Vote.gov to check your registration and find your polling place.
The people behind the races
Our people desk profiles the candidates, governors, party leaders, and potential power brokers who will shape the next two years. Start with the candidates at the center of the Senate fight:
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the 2026 midterm elections?
They were held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, and the polls have closed. Most races were called that night; the live results page lists each call with its outlet and date.
Who won the 2026 midterms?
Democrats won both chambers of Congress. The Associated Press called the House for the Democrats, and called four Republican-held Senate seats — Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, and Maine — giving them a 51–49 Senate majority. Democrats also won a majority of governorships, 28 to 20, with Alaska and Kansas still uncalled. The live results page lists every call with its outlet and date.
What is on the ballot in 2026?
All 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats, 36 governorships, thousands of state legislative seats, and ballot measures in many states and cities. Your sample ballot depends on where you live.
How many Senate seats do Democrats need to win control?
Four. Republicans hold 53 seats and Democrats hold 47. A 50–50 Senate would be controlled by Republicans because the vice president breaks ties.
How many House seats do Democrats need?
About three, based on the current 218–214 lineup with one independent caucusing with Republicans and two vacancies. The exact number can change if vacancies are filled or redistricting is revised.
How do I register to vote?
Rules vary by state. Use Vote.gov to check your registration, or open your state guide above. Some states allow same-day registration; others closed registration weeks ago.
When did polls close?
Polling hours varied by state and sometimes by county, and the first polls closed at 6 p.m. Eastern on November 3. Our poll closing times page lists the schedule in Eastern time, and it explains why states count at different speeds.
Sources
- Vote.gov — registration and polling place lookup.
- 270toWin: 2026 Senate elections
- 270toWin: 2026 House elections
- 270toWin: 2026 governor elections
- Pew Research Center — issue priorities survey.
- National Conference of State Legislatures — state election rules.
Last updated November 6, 2026. Race calls are recorded on the live results page; matchups and seat counts are based on late-October reporting and should be re-checked before publication.