Democrats win both chambers of the US Congress in the 2026 midterm elections

Democrats flip both chambers

In the 2026 midterm elections, Americans elected the entire House of Representatives — 435 seats — and 35 senators. Until election night, Republicans held majorities in both chambers, albeit by narrow margins. According to Deutsche Welle, which relies on Associated Press tallies, Democrats took Senate seats from Republicans in strongholds such as North Carolina, South Carolina, Kansas, Texas and Iowa, crossing the 51-seat threshold, and in the House of Representatives surpassed the 218-seat mark. Thus, the opposition gained control of both chambers of Congress — an outcome that will shape US policy in the coming years, since most federal decisions require congressional approval.

Republicans lose support across all groups

A survey of nearly 80,000 verified voters conducted by SSRS on behalf of AP and other media outlets shows that Republicans lost support compared with the November 2022 midterms across all demographic groups. The share of white men voting for them fell from 60% to 55%, white women from 56% to 47%, and it also declined among Hispanics — even though it was Hispanics who largely secured Trump's second term two years ago, this time a majority of both men and women among them voted for Democrats. Republicans retained a majority of white men (55%) and voters aged 65 and older (51%), while three quarters of young people aged 18–24 backed the Democrats. The urban-rural divide persisted as well: 71% of city dwellers voted for Democrats, while about 60% of rural residents and small-town dwellers voted Republican. Among voters with higher education, 62% supported the Democrats; among the rest, the split was nearly even — 47% versus 51%.

The economy as the main factor

The economy became the key issue of the election: since the start of the war with Iran, gasoline prices have risen noticeably, everyday goods have become more expensive across the country, and nearly half of Americans said their family's financial situation had worsened compared with two years ago. The link between this sentiment and voting is direct: among those who believed their family was better off, 75% voted for Republicans; among those who believed it was worse off, 74% voted for Democrats. Trump, meanwhile, insists the country is on the rise. Voters also differ in their assessment of the nation's main problems: among those who named immigration as the most important issue, 89% voted Republican; among those who saw the state of democracy as the main threat, 78% supported the Democrats; on the economy, the electorate split almost evenly.

Foreign policy and assessments of Trump

Voters also diverged on the administration's foreign policy decisions. Among those who considered the joint US-Israeli war against Iran the right decision, 91% were Republicans; among those who considered it a mistake, 82% were Democrats. Support for Israel remains a contentious issue since the Israeli strikes on Gaza in response to the Hamas terror attack of October 7, 2023: among those who consider it excessive, 78% voted for Democrats. On domestic policy, 92% of those who approved of the actions of the immigration agency ICE were Republicans, and 86% of those who disapproved were Democrats; Trump's tariff policy was likewise assessed largely along party lines. Midterms are traditionally seen as a referendum on the president's and his party's performance, and Trump's approval rating in the final weeks before the vote dropped to a record low — just below 30%. In modern history, only George W. Bush fared worse, with 25% at the end of his second term: in the 2006 midterms his party also lost both chambers of Congress.