Democrats Win Back Control of the U.S. Senate in Midterms
Democrats have regained control of the U.S. Senate after defeating Republicans in the November 3, 2026, midterm elections, according to The Guardian. Midterm elections are held in the middle of a president's term, and they decide which party controls Congress, the national legislature in Washington.
Republicans held a 53-47 majority in the Senate going into the vote. Democrats needed a net gain of four seats, meaning four more than they had before, to reach 51. The Associated Press reported that 51 seats would be enough because Republican Vice President JD Vance is able to break tie votes.
According to the Associated Press, Democratic Senate candidates won in South Carolina, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Iowa and Kansas. In South Carolina, Democrat Annie Andrews ousted the Republican incumbent. It had been 38 years since a Democrat won a Senate race in that state. In Iowa, Democrat Josh Turek defeated Republican Representative Ashley Hinson, who had been backed by Donald Trump, flipping a seat that Republicans had held. Democrats had last won a Senate race in Iowa 18 years earlier.
Kansas has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1932, and Texas has not since 1988. The Guardian noted both of those long gaps in its reporting on the results.
In North Carolina, Republican Senator Thom Tillis announced his retirement after Trump criticized him for opposing the president's main domestic policy legislation. Former governor Roy Cooper, the Democratic nominee, won the race to replace him.
Texas Republicans also saw a contest reshaped before the general election. Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over longtime Senator John Cornyn, and Cornyn lost his primary.
Republicans did not manage to unseat Democrats in Georgia or New Hampshire, which they had identified as target states for 2026.
The Senate result is part of a broader shift in Congress. NBC News projected that Democrats captured full control of Congress. The Guardian reported that Democrats are expected to have full control beginning in 2027, the first time since 2022, with Senate control combined with a likely House victory.
