Democrats Take Control of US Senate and House in 2026 Midterms

Democrats have taken control of both chambers of Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections, with vote counting still underway in dozens of races early Wednesday, according to live results tracked by The Guardian.

As of 5:26 a.m. Eastern time Wednesday, Democrats held 54 Senate seats, including two independents who caucus with the party, a gain of seven seats, the Guardian's tracker showed. Republicans held 44 seats, down seven. Democrats needed 50 seats to win the chamber. Thirty-three of the 35 Senate races on the ballot had been called.

In the House, Democrats led with 228 seats, a gain of 25, compared with 139 for Republicans, a loss of 25, the Guardian reported. The magic number to control the House is 218. By early Wednesday, 367 of 435 House races had been called.

Which Senate seats are still too close to call?

The Cook Political Report had rated six Senate contests as genuine toss-ups heading into Tuesday: Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Ohio and Texas, according to the Guardian's race-by-race breakdown. Those six states were among the last still being counted early Wednesday.

Democrats were rated likely to win Georgia and North Carolina, and were favored in Michigan, Minnesota and New Hampshire, the Guardian's analysis showed. Republicans were favored in Nebraska and South Carolina, and rated likely to hold Florida and Mississippi. Analysts tracking these battlegrounds say a party that wins seats it was expected to lose typically signals a stronger-than-anticipated night — a pattern reflected in the overall Senate math once toss-up states are called.

How did Democrats retake the House without winning every close race?

Going into Election Day, Democrats were favored in enough seats to win the House outright without capturing any of the 18 seats the Cook Political Report classified as toss-ups, the Guardian's breakdown explained. That meant the chamber's balance of power hinged mainly on whether Democrats could hold the 18 seats rated "lean Democratic."

For Republicans to win the House, they would have needed to sweep all 18 toss-up seats and also flip five Democratic-leaning seats, according to the same analysis. Republicans entered the night favored in 195 seats. With 228 seats called for Democrats by early Wednesday — ten more than the 218 needed — the House majority appeared secure even with dozens of races still uncalled.

What do the numbers mean for day-to-day control of Congress?

A Senate majority determines which party controls committee chairs, confirms federal judges and executive nominees, and sets the floor schedule. A House majority determines who becomes speaker and controls which bills reach a floor vote. With Democrats projected to hold both chambers, the party would set the legislative agenda in Washington for the next two years, pending final certification of the remaining uncalled races.

The Guardian's live tracker noted that first results on election night were expected after 6 p.m. Eastern time (3 p.m. Pacific, 11 p.m. GMT, 10 a.m. Thursday in Sydney), meaning the bulk of Tuesday's counting stretched well into Wednesday morning for many states, particularly those with close Senate races still outstanding.

Which governor's races were also in play?

The Guardian's results page tracks governor races alongside Senate and House contests in all 50 states, though the published figures emphasized congressional control. The tracker notes that Democrats had also taken "several key governorships" as of early Wednesday, without yet specifying a full state-by-state tally in the material reviewed for this report. Readers can follow the complete, continuously updated state-level breakdown directly on the Guardian's live results page.

What happens next as remaining races are called?

With two Senate races and 68 House races still uncalled early Wednesday, final control margins in both chambers could shift modestly, though the overall majorities were not expected to change based on the toss-up math outlined above. Election officials in states with close contests typically continue counting mail and provisional ballots for days after polls close, meaning some margins will not be finalized this week.

For readers staying up through overnight counting, keeping a clear head matters as much as fast information — a reminder that applies well beyond election nights. Tools like the mindfulAI Keyboard are built for exactly that kind of low-grade, screen-heavy stress, though they are no substitute for official results.

HTT News will continue to follow the remaining uncalled Senate and House races as they are finalized, relying on the Guardian's live, continuously updated tracker as the primary source for vote counts in all 50 states.