Get you up to speed: Where Democrats won big in the 2026 midterms: Inside the most decisive election results
In the 2026 midterm elections, Democrats made significant gains, capturing control of both the House and Senate, with projections of at least 55 Senate seats and between 254 to 267 House seats. Notable victories included James Talarico defeating Republican Ken Paxton in Texas and Scott Colom’s upset over GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi.
Democrats are projected to control at least 55 Senate seats in the upcoming Congress, with the Alaska race still undecided due to a lengthy ballot-counting process. Scott Colom’s narrow victory in Mississippi marks a significant shift, as no Democrat has been elected to the Senate from the state in over 40 years.
Democrats have gained significant control in Congress following their successful campaign, with projections indicating they will hold at least 55 Senate seats and between 254 and 267 House seats when the new Congress convenes in January. James Talarico, Gina Hinojosa, and Keisha Lance Bottoms have emerged victorious in notable races, signalling a shift in several long-held Republican strongholds, while strategic implications for the GOP are anticipated in forthcoming elections as they reassess their campaign strategies.
What remains unclear — The final results of the Senate race in Alaska have yet to be determined, with a lengthy ballot-counting process still ongoing.
Democrats achieve significant wins in the 2026 midterm elections
Washington — Voters across the country delivered a stinging rebuke to Republicans in Congress and President Trump’s agenda in the 2026 midterm elections, with Democrats capturing House and Senate seats that had seemed out of reach just a few months ago.
WTX US News projects Democrats will take control of both chambers when the new Congress convenes in January, with wide margins in each. Democrats are projected to control at least 55 Senate seats, with only Alaska still unresolved. In the House, WTX US News estimates the party could control between 254 and 267 when all the votes are counted.
Out of 11 Senate races that WTX US News considered battlegrounds, Democrats were projected to win 10. The 11th race, in Alaska, is still rated a toss-up, with a lengthy ballot-counting process expected.
The victories weren’t just limited to House and Senate races, either. Democrats captured the governor’s mansion in Texas, a feat they haven’t accomplished since 1990.
Here are the major races that propelled Democrats to victory, according to WTX US News’ projections:
Texas Senate: James Talarico
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In the most expensive Senate race in Texas history, and one of the closest-watched matchups of the election cycle, Talarico defeated Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Talarico, 37, is a former teacher and Presbyterian seminarian who was elected to serve in the Texas House of Representatives in 2018.
Talarico’s campaign focused on corruption and lowering costs. He told “WTX Mornings” on Wednesday that his victory sent a message to Elon Musk, who spent heavily in the race, that “Texas is not for sale.”
“The power in this state, in this country, belongs to the people and we’ve got to make sure it stays that way,” he said.
Paxton was backed by Mr. Trump, who endorsed the Republican attorney general over Sen. John Cornyn in the GOP Senate primary earlier this year.
Paxton went on to defeat Cornyn in the primary runoff in May, setting the race against Talarico. Paxton had weathered numerous controversies and was impeached by the state House in 2023 on allegations of bribery, obstruction of justice and abuse of trust. He was acquitted by the state Senate.
Texas governor: Gina Hinojosa
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Hinojosa, a state lawmaker, bested Republican incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott, making her the first Democrat to win the governor’s mansion in more than 30 years. Hinojosa will be the third woman to lead the state.
Abbott had been in office for more than a decade and was seeking a fourth term as governor, and the race against Hinojosa narrowed in the months leading up to the election. Hinojosa focused her campaign on affordability and public education. The fight over data centers also emerged as a major issue in the governor’s race.
South Carolina Senate: Annie Andrews
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Andrews, a pediatrician, defeated Republican Sen. Darline Graham, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. Andrews, 45, made healthcare access and affordability the focuses of her campaign.
Graham was appointed to finish out the remainder of her late brother’s Senate term following his unexpected death in July. President Trump swiftly threw his support behind Graham and campaigned for her in South Carolina in the lead-up to the midterms.
It has been nearly 30 years since a Democrat won the Senate in South Carolina, a state Mr. Trump won by 18 points in 2024.
Kansas Senate: Adam Hamilton
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Hamilton, a fifth-generation Kansan, is the leader of the largest United Methodist church in the country and is a well-known author and speaker. The 62-year-old defeated Roger Marshall, a Republican, who was seeking his second term in the Senate.
Kansas hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1932. Mr. Trump won the state by more than 16 points in the last presidential election.
In the closing weeks of the Senate campaign, Marshall, an obstetrician-gynecologist, came under scrutiny after the New York Times reported that he had filed lawsuits against hundreds of his patients over outstanding medical bills, and 81 were arrested.
Georgia governor: Keisha Lance Bottoms
Megan Varner / Getty Images 
In Georgia, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms will make history as the nation’s first Black woman governor. The former Atlanta mayor and senior adviser in the Biden administration defeated Republican Rick Jackson and Libertarian Chase Oliver, WTX US News projects.
With 99% of the vote counted, Bottoms had 54.3% of the vote, compared to 45.7% for Jackson.
Bottoms told “WTX Mornings” on Wednesday that she was surprised that the race was called as early as it was on election night.
“I thought that it was going to be a very long night. I knew that we had done the work, but Georgia has always, for the past few years, been a purple state, so I thought it would be much closer,” she said.
Michigan Senate: Abdul El-Sayed
Jeff Kowalsky /AFP via Getty Images 
Michigan was viewed as Republicans’ best chance to flip a Senate seat, but El-Sayed’s victory over GOP opponent Mike Rogers keeps it in Democrats’ hands.
The Senate race emerged as one of the most contentious of the midterm election cycle. Top Republicans, led by Mr. Trump, repeatedly leveled anti-Muslim attacks against El-Sayed, calling him a “jihadist” and claiming that he is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.
El-Sayed told Fox News in an interview last month that he has “never been a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.”
El-Sayed also came under scrutiny for his opposition to U.S. support for Israel and views on Israel raising questions as to whether he could win support from Jewish and Black voters.
There was a late twist in the Senate race in Michigan when Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens, who sought the Democratic Senate nomination, endorsed Rogers and appeared alongside him at a Detroit church Sunday.
Maine Senate: Troy Jackson
AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty 
Jackson was facing off against GOP Sen. Susan Collins, the only Republican running for reelection in a state won by former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race.
Collins was first elected to represent Maine in the Senate in 1996 and had touted her ability to bring home benefits for the state as part of her pitch to voters. While she had survived difficult campaigns in the past, Collins was not able to fend off the challenge from Jackson.
Jackson is a fifth-generation logger who jumped into the Senate race late after Graham Platner, who initially won the Democratic Senate nomination, withdrew from the race after allegations of sexual misconduct. The former president of the Maine Senate unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for governor earlier this year.
Mississippi Senate: Scott Colom
AP Photo/Sarah Warnock 
Democrat Scott Colom pulled off a stunning upset against GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in the Mississippi Senate race — a narrow victory which was projected by WTX US News on Nov. 11, more than a week after Election Day.
Colom, 43, is a district attorney and seventh-generation Mississippian. He campaigned on cost of living and healthcare issues, pledging to deliver for the state where he argued Hyde-Smith hasn’t.
In 2023, then-President Joe Biden nominated Colom for a federal judgeship, but Hyde-Smith declined to back his nomination, so the Senate Judiciary Committee did not move forward with confirmation. About two and a half years later, Colom launched his campaign for Senate.
President Trump won Mississippi by 20 points in 2024, and the state hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate in more than 40 years.
Dozens of House seats across the country
Democrats are on track to flip dozens of House seats.
In Iowa, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, Democrats had a sweep of the most competitive seats.
Democrats defeated GOP incumbent Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa, Zach Nunn of Iowa, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Ryan Mackenzie of Pennsylvania, Rob Bresnahan Jr. of Pennsylvania, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Brian Steil of Wisconsin and Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin. They also flipped an open Iowa seat that is currently held by the GOP.
Redistricting helped Democrats win California’s 1st District and Utah’s 1st District. Redistricting was expected to hamper Democrats’ chances in Texas’ 15th District and 23rd District, but Democrats pulled off upsets.
In Ohio, embattled GOP Reps. Max Miller and Mike Carey both lost reelection, as did Tom Kean in New Jersey, Ann Wagner in Missouri, Gabe Evans in Colorado, Victoria Spartz in Indiana and Jen Kiggans in Virginia.
Democrats also flipped open seats in Kentucky’s 6th District, Nebraska’s 2nd District and North Carolina’s 11th District.