The votes are counted, at least the ones that decide who holds power. By Wednesday morning, major news organizations reported that Democrats will take control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate when the new Congress convenes in January. This article summarizes the reporting available as of Wednesday, November 4, and some final numbers are still being tallied.
The headline numbers
NBC News projected that Democrats will win at least 258 House seats, well beyond the 218 needed for a majority, though it cautioned that the estimate could shift by a few seats either way. In the Senate, NBC reported that Democrats flipped seven Senate seats: Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Maine, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas.
The Associated Press also reported that Democrats won control of Congress. NBC said Democrats flipped at least 29 House seats and may have their largest House majority in nearly two decades. It described wins in deep-red places such as Texas and South Carolina, where a Democratic victory had once seemed unlikely.
Governors’ races
NBC also reported that Democrats flipped governorships in Texas, Georgia, Nevada, Ohio and Iowa. Those offices matter well beyond the next two years, because governors shape state budgets, election administration and, in many states, how congressional district lines get drawn after the next census.
Why voters say they voted this way
NBC’s exit polls pointed to a dissatisfied electorate. The network reported that President Trump’s disapproval rating among voters stood at 62 percent, that Congress fared worse, with more than three-quarters of voters disapproving of its work, and that nearly half of voters said they saw the election as a chance to rebuke the president. NBC’s analysis cited voters feeling fed up with the economy, and its coverage described affordability and corruption as central concerns. It also noted that soaring gas prices became a central issue during the campaign, and that Iran’s top negotiator framed the result as a rejection of the war the U.S. and Israel launched against it.
Exit polls are surveys, not exact counts, so it helps to treat any single figure as a snapshot of who answered rather than a precise measure of the whole country.
What party leaders said
NBC reported that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said early Wednesday, “We’re going to deliver for the people of America with or without the president.” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who NBC described as poised to be the next speaker, said Democrats can both push back on the administration and try to get things done.
Some Democrats are urging a focus on costs first. NBC quoted former Rep. Val Demings as saying the first item on the agenda “has to deal with affordability,” while Rep. Robert Garcia, who is poised to lead the House Oversight Committee, posted “LAWYER UP” in what NBC described as a warning to certain Republicans.
What divided government can and can’t do
When one party controls Congress and the other holds the White House, a few things change right away, and a few stay the same.
- Committee leadership flips. Democrats will chair House and Senate committees, which gives them control over hearing schedules and the power to issue subpoenas.
- Confirmations get harder. With the Senate in Democratic hands, judicial and cabinet nominees will need to win over a different majority.
- Big new laws get harder. Most major bills in the Senate still need 60 votes to get past a filibuster, and a president can veto what does pass unless Congress can muster a two-thirds vote to override.
In other words, the most immediate effects are likely to be oversight, investigations and fights over government funding, not sweeping new legislation.
What to watch in the coming weeks
Several things are still unsettled as of Wednesday morning. Final House seat counts are not locked in, and some governor’s races were still unresolved, according to NBC. Leadership elections come next, and Republicans will have to decide how to respond to a lost majority. The formal vote for Speaker will not happen until the new Congress is sworn in.
Then there is the calendar. The current Congress still has work to do before the end of the year, including government funding, and lawmakers who lost their seats will remain in office until January. Expect a busy and sometimes awkward lame-duck stretch.
How to follow the story reliably
Early projections can change, and recounts are possible in very tight races. For the most dependable picture, check several established outlets, look for the difference between a “projection” and a certified result, and remember that official certification takes days or weeks in many states. Your state or county election office publishes the authoritative numbers for local races.
The bottom line
The 2026 midterms ended with a change in who controls Congress, and the next two years of American politics will be shaped by that shift. What the new majority actually does with its power, and how the White House responds, are the questions that will matter most from here.
*Sources: NBC News and the Associated Press, as linked above. Results are as reported on November 4, 2026 and may change as counting continues.*
Image: 2023 United States Capitol 118th Congress, sunrise by U.S. House of Representatives via Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain Mark 1.0
