USAupdated 8m ago2 min read
Democrats Projected To Surpass 250 House Seats After Costliest 2026 US Midterms
“It turned out to be a poor investment.”
“Republican-affiliated groups spent roughly 60% more than Democratic-aligned groups — but that did not prevent them from losing at least seven seats.”
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Democrats projected to win 250+ House seats, potentially 257, largest majority since 2008. Record campaign spending defined the cycle, with billions spent by outside groups.
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Spending, Seats, and Maps
The 2026 US midterm elections were expected to be the most expensive in history, with OpenSecrets saying outside groups and independent committees spent at least $2 billion in the battle for the US Senate. Republican-affiliated groups spent roughly 60% more than Democratic-aligned groups, but the spending did not prevent Republicans from losing at least seven seats. CNN’s Decision Desk projected Democrats to oust at least 30 Republican incumbents as the party surpassed 250 seats in the House of Representatives, and CNN projected Democrats to have already secured 54 seats in the Senate.
CNN also said two Senate races had yet to be called, Mississippi and Alaska, with Mississippi Republicans raising the possibility of legal action as election officials and volunteers made a mad dash to resolve uncounted ballots. Outside spending could be quickly redirected as political conditions changed, with spending in Georgia and North Carolina declining as Republican prospects faded.
Musk, Paxton, and Talarico
Elon Musk and other wealthy Republicans spent $316 million to support state Attorney General Ken Paxton, while Democratic groups spent $109 million to support James Talarico, whose campaign raised more than $146 million directly. Musk contributed at least $446m to Republican-aligned Super Pacs and groups over the course of the elections, specifically targeting several key Senate races. Talarico said, "We just proved that all the money in the world is no match for the people of Texas," after Talarico achieved a commanding win.
Musk spent $225 million in Texas to defeat Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, who faced incumbent conservative Attorney General Ken Paxton. Pentagon staff were mounting an "aggressive defense" of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ahead of an anticipated impeachment effort, while President Donald Trump said he has "every intention to keep" Hegseth.
Latino Shifts and Data Centers
UnidosUS CEO Janet Murguía said a record number of Latinos voted nationwide, reaching as many as 14.5 million, and she said, "Latino voters sent a clear message about their anger and concern about the direction of our country." Across 64 majority-Latino counties with Senate races where most votes had been counted, Republicans lost 14 percentage points from their 2024 vote share, and in Hidalgo County, Texas, Republican support fell by around 25 percentage points. The Times of India said voters across 10 states backed restrictions on data centre development or rejected plans to build such facilities in their neighbourhoods, and it said Redbud Consulting found 40 of the 41 ballot measures restricted the setting up of data centres.
All but one of the 41 ballot measures restricted the establishment of data centers, and shares of AI-related and data center-related companies declined days after the elections on expectations of tighter oversight under a Democrat-led US Congress. CNN said ballots were still being tallied in more than two dozen races, including closely-watched Senate competitions in Alaska and Mississippi, where Democrats were leading by close margins.