USAupdated 51m ago2 min read
Democrats Win Control Of House And Senate In 2026 U.S. Midterms
“Vice President JD Vance blamed his party’s losses on Americans’ frustration over the U.S. war with Iran,”
“Exit polling shows that more than half of all midterm voters considered government corruption as ‘crucial’”
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Democrats win control of both Senate and House, effective January 2027. Trump defeated as Democrats flip Congress, gaining leverage over his presidency.
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Democrats seize Congress
Democrats won control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, setting up divided government for the final half of President Donald Trump’s second term. NBC News projected that Democrats would take control of the House and the Senate in January, estimating Democrats would win at least 259 House seats. The Guardian said Democrats regained control of the US Senate with historic victories that would give them leverage over Donald Trump for the remainder of his presidency.
“We have five words for the American people: relief is on the way.”
The Guardian also said Democrats had won 54 seats while Republicans had 42, as vote counting continued in Alaska where Democrat Mary Peltolia was vying to beat two-term Republican Dan Sullivan. The Guardian quoted Chuck Schumer saying, "We have five words for the American people: relief is on the way."
Trump accepts, Vance blames
Donald Trump said he recognizes the results but does not take the Republican defeat "personally," and TV5MONDE reported that he stated he "accepts" the Democratic victory. Vice President JD Vance blamed his party’s losses on Americans’ frustration over the U.S. war with Iran, which he said drove up oil prices at a time when costs were already high. Ted Cruz described the Democratic sweep as an “ass-kicking” for Republicans and said, "It was not simply a bad 2006 midterm election, it was a Watergate-level repudiation," on an episode of his podcast.
Gina Hinojosa, speaking after becoming the first Democrat elected governor of Texas in nearly 40 years, said, "We are taking our children’s education back from a government that has failed them," and vowed to fire the state’s top education official. Zohran Mamdani told NBC News that last night’s wins "absolutely" pave the way for a progressive candidate in the 2028 presidential race.
Next two years at stake
The U.S. News & World Report said Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in Tuesday’s midterm elections and set up two years of divided government in the final half of President Donald Trump’s second term.
U.S. News & World Report said overriding a presidential veto requires a two-thirds majority, 67 votes if all senators are voting, and it added that 67 is also the threshold for convicting an impeached president, Cabinet member or Supreme Court justice.
The Guardian said Democrats will soon have the ability to hold up not just Trump’s legislative agenda but also any appointments he makes to his cabinet or the federal judiciary, including the supreme court where conservatives have a 6-3 majority.
The Guardian also said the election will give Democrats powerful new leverage over Donald Trump for the remainder of his presidency, and it described the Senate as a place where Democrats can block nominations.
U.S. News & World Report said Democrats will still need significant Republican support to overcome vetoes from the White House, even as they gain committee chairmanships and the legislative agenda.