Democrats Regain Control Of U.S. Congress, Defeating Donald Trump In 2026 Midterms

Blue wave reshapes Congress

Democrats regained control of both chambers of the U.S. Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, with projections saying they would be able to significantly curb the power of President Donald Trump for the rest of his term.

NBC estimates that Democrats would win at least 244 seats in the 435-seat House, while projections also put Democrats in control of the Senate.

In Iowa, Democrat Josh Turek was elected senator, defeating Republican Ashley Hinson, and in Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton was elected senator, defeating outgoing Republican Senator Roger Marshall.

In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa was elected governor, defeating outgoing Governor Greg Abbott, and Democrat James Talarico was elected senator, ending more than three decades of Republican dominance in the state by defeating ultraconservative Ken Paxton.

Reporting for this section20 MinutesBBC

Trump accepts, Jeffries cheers

Donald Trump told the New York Times, "I am fully willing to accept these results," and he added, "We will work with the Democrats; we are looking forward to collaborating with them." Hakeem Jeffries celebrated the House victory by saying, "The MAGA extremists are on the run from coast to coast" in the United States, and he also said, "America is back."

Trump also blamed his party’s losses on himself not being on the ballot, writing on Truth Social, "I wasn’t on the ballot, and if I had been, we would have WON HANDILY." The BBC described the night as a referendum on Trump’s handling, and it quoted Trump writing, "I wasn’t on the ballot and if I had been, we would have won decisively," as Democrats won in traditional Republican strongholds.

Reporting for this section20 MinutesBBC

What power shifts next

Democrats’ Senate control was projected to reshape the path for the CLARITY Act, with Cointelegraph noting that the CLARITY Act failed its Senate procedural vote 49 to 50 in September and would need to be passed by January. Cointelegraph also said Democratic control could bring more congressional scrutiny of Trump-linked crypto businesses and regulators’ decisions, and it linked that to which lawmakers lead committees overseeing the industry.

In the House, Hakeem Jeffries pledged to use the majority to hold political leaders accountable for "unprecedented corruption," and he said, "We will hold to account those who have inflicted unprecedented corruption on this country." The BBC framed the stakes as Trump facing a Congress that could challenge him in the second part of his presidency, and it said Democrats aimed to achieve a historic result with wins in traditional Republican strongholds.

Reporting for this sectionCointelegraphCNews