Polls Show Momentum Toward Democrats in Midterm House Races

Polls show momentum toward the Democratic Party in the 2026 midterm House races, NPR reported on October 25, 2026. In the few seats that are truly competitive, the picture is more complicated, NPR said. Its Politics Chat segment, which aired on Weekend Edition Sunday and was reported by Ayesha Rascoe and Mara Liasson, also reported that Republicans are on defense in Senate races. The segment's headline asks whether the polls can be trusted. NPR's full article is the most recent account of the polling.

The midterm elections are scheduled for November 3, 2026. All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are up for election. A party needs 218 seats to win a majority there. The New York Times reported that Republicans currently hold 53 seats in the Senate.

Reuters reported that Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control of each chamber of Congress. A net gain means winning more seats than they lose. Reuters also reported that President Trump's approval rating had fallen to an all-time low of 31%.

Redrawn districts are another factor in the House races. A Reuters analysis found that nine districts redrawn by Republicans now lean Democratic or are too close to call. "Lean Democratic" means the district is more likely to elect a Democrat.

Harvard's ElectIt model forecast that Democrats would win the 2026 national vote by about 2 points. The Cook Political Report rates how competitive each House election is, covering all 435 races.