ABC News projected that Democrats will take control of both the Senate and the House in the 2026 midterms. Vice President JD Vance blamed Republican losses on the Iran war, and Trump called that assessment largely true while saying he would make the same decision again. The Alaska Senate race had no results yet.
ABC News projected that Democrats will take control of both the Senate and the House in the 2026 midterm elections. ABC News also projects that Democrats will win enough seats to gain control of the House. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the results were a rejection of corruption and extremism, and Democrats' projected House win puts him on track to become the first Black speaker of the chamber.
Trump and Vance on the Iran war
Vice President JD Vance blamed the Republican midterm losses on President Trump's decision to start a war with Iran. On Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, Trump said Vance's analysis was largely true. Trump said the assessment held because the conflict had driven up gas prices, but he said he would make the same decision again. He said the war pushed gasoline prices up a little in the short term, but that in the long term it is the only answer. Trump also said he would have done nothing differently regarding the war. Before the election, Trump predicted the GOP would hold the House and Senate for the final two years of his presidency.
Senate results
Democrat James Talarico won the Texas Senate race over Republican Ken Paxton, according to The Associated Press, flipping the seat to Democrats. Before the vote, the race was described as close, and the last Democrat to win a U.S. Senate election in Texas did so in 1988. Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan's Senate race over Republican Mike Rogers, according to The Associated Press, and will become the nation's first Muslim senator. Democrat Roy Cooper is projected to flip the North Carolina Senate seat, defeating Republican Michael Whatley. Sen. Jon Ossoff, a Democrat, won re-election in Georgia over Republican Rep. Mike Collins, according to The Associated Press.
ABC News projects Democrat Sherrod Brown will defeat Sen. Jon Husted in Ohio and return to the Senate two years after losing his seat. Only six senators have returned to the Senate after losing an election since 1946, according to the report. Republican Sen. Susan Collins said early Wednesday that she called and conceded the Maine Senate race to Democrat Troy Jackson, though ABC News had not made a projection in the race. Democrats had switched out their Maine Senate candidate in July after primary winner Graham Platner was forced out following a rape allegation, which he denied. Republican Kurt Alme won the Montana Senate race, according to The Associated Press, allowing Republicans to hold the open seat of retiring Sen. Steve Daines.
The Alaska Senate race between Republican Dan Sullivan and Mary Peltola had no results yet. A call could take up to several weeks if the race is close, because of ranked-choice voting. Republicans held a 53-47 Senate majority, so Democrats needed a net gain of four seats. Republicans could lose up to three seats and keep control with Vance's tie-breaking vote. The 47 Democratic-aligned seats include independents Bernie Sanders and Angus King, who caucus with Democrats.
House and governors
All 435 House seats were on the ballot, with Republicans holding 220 seats and Democrats 215. Democrats needed a net gain of three seats to reach 218 and win the majority. ABC News rated 14 House races as tossups. Polls showed Democrats widely favored to win the House, though it was unclear how deep into Republican terrain their victories might extend.
Keisha Lance Bottoms, a Democrat and former Atlanta mayor, was elected governor of Georgia, according to The Associated Press. She becomes the first Black woman elected governor in the country, and Georgia has not had a Democratic governor since Roy Barnes left office in 2003. Democrat Xavier Becerra was elected California governor over Republican Steve Hilton, according to The Associated Press. Deb Haaland is projected to win the New Mexico governor's race and would become the first indigenous governor in U.S. history. Republican Rep. Byron Donalds is projected to defeat Democrat David Jolly in Florida and would become the state's first Black governor. Ohio's governor race is between Democrat Amy Acton and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, who faced bipartisan backlash for an attack ad featuring Acton's estranged mother.
Background and election logistics
The GOP faced a difficult climate, with persistent inflation tied in part to a war with Iran that polls show is unpopular, and with Trump's increasingly negative approval ratings. The war has been described as generally unpopular, with inflation climbing and fuel prices at record highs. The Justice Department said it would send roughly 1,000 election monitors to all 50 states, calling it the largest federal monitoring effort in history.
Governorships in 36 of 50 states, legislative elections in all but four states, and 145 statewide ballot measures were up in 2026. There are currently 26 Republican and 24 Democratic governors. The first polls closed Tuesday in parts of Indiana and Kentucky at 6 p.m. Eastern. The last polling places closed at 1 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday, in Alaska. The balance of power in both chambers was up for grabs, along with significant governor races.
