US midterm elections begin: what's at stake and who leads in the polls

On November 3, 2026, the United States holds midterm elections: all 435 House seats, 35 of 100 Senate seats, and 36 governorships are up for election. Republicans currently control both chambers of Congress, but polls show a Democratic advantage in the House, and the top issue for voters is rising prices.

Otabek YusupovFirst published on tafs uz 3 November 2026 at 19:132 min read

The key facts

435 House seats, 35 Senate seats, and 36 state governorships are up for election
Republicans control both chambers: 218–214 in the House and 53–47 in the Senate
46% of Reuters/Ipsos poll respondents want Democrats to control Congress, 38% want Republicans

What Americans are voting for

On November 3, 2026, the United States holds midterm elections, which take place in the middle of a president's term and are usually seen as a verdict on the administration's performance. As Kun.uz reports, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for election, along with 35 of the 100 Senate seats and 36 state governorships. Both chambers of Congress are currently controlled by Republicans: in the House they hold 218 seats to the Democrats' 214, with one independent member and two seats vacant; in the Senate the split is 53 to 47 in favor of the Republicans, with the Democrats having two independent senators.

What thresholds the parties need

To win a majority, the Democrats need to take 218 seats in the House of Representatives and 51 seats in the Senate. If the Senate is split 50-50, the tiebreaking vote will go to the Republican vice president, J. D. Vance. According to Reuters, cited by Kun.uz, the historical context does not favor the ruling party: since World War II, the president's party has lost ground in Congress in every midterm election except two.

What the polls show

Polls and independent analysts see the Democrats as the favorites in the battle for the House of Representatives, while the fight for the Senate remains open. In a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on November 2, 46% of respondents said they would like to see Congress under Democratic control, and 38% under Republican control; a week earlier the gap stood at 11 points. The main issue concerning voters is inflation: 78% of respondents named the rising cost of living a very important or the most important issue when voting.

When to expect the results

According to Kun.uz, the first results will begin coming in from the morning of November 4, Tashkent time. The outlet also raises the question of whether President Donald Trump will become a 'Mr. Veto' if the Republicans lose control of Congress, but the outcome of the vote and the answer to this question remain unknown for now.