2026 United States midterm elections
The 2026 United States midterm elections, in which Democrats won control of Congress, flipping multiple Senate seats including in Texas, Iowa, South Carolina, North Carolina, Ohio, Maine and Kansas, and electing governors in several states. Black candidates from both parties made historic gains, including the election of Florida's first Black governor, while results were widely framed as a setback for President Donald Trump's agenda.
Current state
Democrats have won control of both chambers of Congress in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, flipping seven Senate seats in Kansas, Iowa, Texas, Maine, Ohio, North Carolina and South Carolina, while Republicans held Florida as Byron Donalds became the state's first Black governor. Black candidates from both parties made historic gains, with six Black governors set to serve and Texas electing Democrats to both a Senate seat and the governorship.
5 sources · 6 reports · Updated 5 Nov 2026
What changed
Midterms produce historic Black gains, six Black governors
Black candidates from both parties made historic gains in the 2026 midterms, with six Black governors set to serve.
Developments
- Key development
Multiple candidates made historic firsts, including Republican Byron Donalds as Florida's first Black governor, the nation's first Black woman governor, the first Native American woman governor, and Democrat Melat Kiros as the first Generation Z woman elected to Congress.
- Key development
Democrats secured a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
- Key development
Democrats won control of the U.S. Senate by flipping seats in Kansas, Iowa, Texas, Maine, Ohio, North Carolina and South Carolina.
- Key development
Texas turned blue as Democrat James Talarico won the U.S. Senate race and Gina Hinojosa ousted Republican Governor Greg Abbott.
Current story coverage
Earlier coverage
- ‘We are still red,’ Florida’s first Black governor upon win US Republican Byron Donald reiterated his support for President Donald Trump.
- ‘We want our taxes spent here’: 11 Democrats weigh in after sweeping the US midterm elections Democratic leaders and seat-flipping victors from Tuesday’s ‘blue tsunami’ offer post-election comments The broad repudiation of Donald Trump , his policies and the Republican party, focused on Trump’s personal unpopularity, high costs of living and the Iran war, offer Democrats an opportunity to reset the US domestic agenda. But what will they do with it? Here, Democratic leaders and seat-flipping victors from Tues…
- US midterm elections 2026: live results from Senate, House and governor races in all 50 states With many seats still to come in, the Democrats have taken control of the Senate, House and several key governorships. Find live updating results in full here US midterm elections – live updates The US legislature, Congress, has two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Continue reading...
- Melat Kiros becomes first woman from Gen Z elected to Congress The 29-year-old democratic socialist from Colorado made history as the first woman from Generation Z to be elected to Congress.
- Historic leadership firsts for minorities across US in midterm vote The US midterm vote ushered in a wave of historic leadership firsts across the country on Tuesday, electoral milestones on a night that saw voters issue a sharp rejection of President Donald Trump’s second term.
- ‘Democrats did a good job’: Trump congratulates Democrats on midterm wins US President Donald Trump has acknowledged that rising petrol prices linked to the war in Iran contributed to his Republican Party's defeat in the midterm elections. He said voters supported his actions against Iran but were reluctant to pay more at the pump. Trump also praised Democrats.
- House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries declares "America is back" Jeffries, who addressed supporters after House control was called for Democrats , argued voters have sent Congress a message to end extremism and "corruption."
- Iowa GOP Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks ousted in rematch Cracks in the GOP's dominance in the agriculture-heavy state widened in recent weeks as Mr. Trump's tariffs and the Iran war have hurt Iowans.
- Trump’s election playbook: The moves that could derail America’s midterms State officials who run US elections are braced for possible intervention by President Donald Trump’s administration in Tuesday’s midterms – fearing federal authorities could disrupt voting, challenge ballot counts or try to block unfavourable results.
- US midterm elections 2026 live: Americans go to the polls in referendum on Trump’s agenda Polls open across the US where key Senate and House races will decide which party controls Congress for remainder of Donald Trump’s second term Sign up for the Breaking News US email What are the races to watch and why do they matter? Midterm elections 2026: what time do the polls close today? It has just gone past 06:30 in North Carolina , Ohio and West Virginia where polls have now opened. Here are some of the key…
- Polls open in closely contested US midterm elections 2026 Democrats are eyeing historic gains in the US Congress that could change the trajectory of the country.
- Midterm elections 2026: how are votes counted and when will we know the results? Everything you need to know about how winners are called, how states count ballots and Trump’s election denialism There’s no simple answer as to when US voters will know the results of the midterms. Elections are managed locally throughout the US, and it’s different in each state. Sometimes, if a race isn’t close, there’s a near-instantaneous sense of who won. In more contested races, it can take many hours, days or…