Americans Vote in 2026 Midterms as Democrats Flip North Carolina Senate Seat
Americans voted in midterm elections on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, and early results included a Senate seat changing parties. Democrats flipped the North Carolina seat, which means it moved from Republican to Democratic hands, after Roy Cooper defeated Michael Whatley, the Associated Press reported. Ossoff also won in Georgia.
The midterms are elections for Congress held in the middle of a president's four-year term. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives were contested, along with 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate. Heading into the vote, Republicans held a 53-47 majority in the Senate and a 218-214 edge in the House.
To take control of both chambers, Democrats needed a net gain, meaning more seats won than lost, of three House seats and four Senate seats. Republicans were defending narrow majorities in both. Before the vote, Reuters reported that Democrats were favored to win the House, while control of the Senate was uncertain.
The elections are widely seen as a referendum on the second term of President Donald Trump, according to The Guardian. Reuters reported that half of voters saw the midterms as a chance to rebuke Trump. Trump held 30 campaign rallies in the month before the vote, and Democrats sent former president Barack Obama out on the campaign trail.
Turnout began early. More than 57 million Americans had already cast ballots by Monday, a total that exceeded the early voting recorded in 2022. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic minority leader in the Senate, described his party's mood before the midterms as "nauseously optimistic."
Voters' concerns were centred on the economy. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 48% of voters considered the cost of living their most important issue, compared with 26% who cited democratic norms and 13% who cited immigration. Nearly half of Americans said their household finances had worsened since Trump returned to office in January 2025.
Trump said the United States would stop $4bn in annual funding to Israel after the end of 2026.
Other results reported on Tuesday night included Democrat Chris Pappas winning a Senate race, and a Democratic incumbent senator from Virginia winning re-election. The Guardian also reported that Florida Democrats survived redistricting efforts, which are attempts to redraw electoral district boundaries. Governor races were held in 39 states.
The Associated Press gathers results from local election officials in thousands of races and reports them as they become available. It declares a winner only when it is certain the trailing candidates have no path to victory.
