Democrats are projected to take control of both chambers of the United States Congress following the 3 November midterm elections. Election-night projections available early on 4 November pointed to Democratic majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
If the projections are borne out, Republicans would lose control of both chambers in the new Congress, giving the opposition party more scope to challenge President Donald Trump’s agenda. The projections are not final certified results. At the time they were made, votes were still being counted in a number of races and some contests remained uncalled.
The eventual size of each majority depends on the remaining results. Election-night projections are made before every vote has necessarily been counted; election officials carry out the processes that lead to official certification.
Senate gains across several states
Projected Democratic gains included several Senate seats previously held by Republicans. In Iowa, Josh Turek was projected to defeat Republican Ashley Hinson. In Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton was projected to beat the sitting Republican senator, Roger Marshall.
In Texas, Democrat James Talarico was projected to defeat Republican Ken Paxton. In South Carolina, Democrat Annie Andrews was projected to defeat Republican Darline Graham. Both contests contributed to the projected shift in the Senate’s balance.
In North Carolina, former governor Roy Cooper was projected to defeat Republican Michael Whatley. In Ohio, Democrat Sherrod Brown was projected to beat the sitting Republican senator, Jon Husted, in a special election for the remainder of a Senate term.
Democrats were also projected to retain Senate seats in Georgia and New Hampshire, where Jon Ossoff and Chris Pappas respectively were projected to win. Ossoff was seeking re-election, while Pappas was contesting a seat being vacated by a retiring senator from his party.
Republicans had a 53–47 advantage over the Democratic caucus in the Senate heading into the election. Democrats needed a net gain of four seats to secure a majority in the 100-member chamber, making the results in several Republican-held states especially important.
House races shift towards Democrats
Projections also pointed to Democratic gains across a range of House districts. In Pennsylvania, Democrats Bob Brooks, Paige Cognetti and Janelle Stelson were projected to defeat Republican representatives Ryan Mackenzie, Rob Bresnahan and Scott Perry respectively.
In New Jersey’s seventh district, Rebecca Bennett was projected to defeat the Republican incumbent Tom Kean Jr. In North Carolina, Jamie Ager was projected to win a seat previously held by a Republican. These are individual race projections rather than certified results.
All 435 voting seats in the House were on the ballot. In a full chamber, 218 seats make a majority. A projection of the overall House outcome can be made before every individual race has been called, and the final margin may differ from an early estimate.
What happens next
House members serve two-year terms, so every voting seat comes up for election at each midterm and presidential election. Senators normally serve six-year terms, with roughly a third of the chamber’s regular seats contested at a time. Special elections can also be held to fill a Senate vacancy.
The new Congress is due to meet on 3 January 2027, unless a different date is set by law. A Senate special election fills the remainder of an existing term, so its timing is not necessarily the same as that for a regular contest. The projections do not mean all members elected in the midterms immediately take office.
The House must choose its Speaker when it organises. A party’s choice of candidate is separate from the vote by members on the House floor, so a majority does not automatically put a particular person in that role.
Much of the practical effect of a change in control comes through congressional committees. They examine proposed laws and scrutinise how federal policy is carried out. Members of the majority party normally chair the committees, giving them an important role in setting priorities for that work.
The Senate also has a distinct role in confirming presidential nominations, including nominees for federal positions and the judiciary. A majority can influence which nominations advance, but winning a Senate majority does not itself give a party the power to appoint judges.
For a bill to reach the president, the House and Senate must agree to the same text. Trump would retain the power to veto legislation, and overriding a veto requires a two-thirds vote in each chamber. Control of Congress therefore offers leverage without guaranteeing that either party’s preferred laws will be enacted.
The midterms will not remove Trump from the White House or settle every future vote in Congress. If confirmed, the projected majorities would give Democrats more scope to set congressional priorities and scrutinise the administration; the remaining results will determine the eventual balance of seats.
