House and Senate midterm races remain undecided as ballots are counted

Washington — The makeup of Congress shifted dramatically in the 2026 midterm elections, as Democrats decisively won control of the Senate and picked up dozens of House seats — in what’s on track to be one of the largest midterm routs in recent decades.

The exact margins of Congress are not yet clear, as winners have not yet been projected in two Senate races and more than two dozen House races. They include GOP-held districts with razor-thin margins, a few Democratic seats that could flip to Republicans and several races in California and other Western states that still need to count ballots.

Here’s a look at the congressional races that WTX US News has not yet projected, including where the results stand:

Senate Toss-Ups

Democrats are set to enter next year with at least 54 Senate seats, compared to Republicans’ 44. Two Senate races still haven’t been called — one has long been viewed as a battleground, and the other came out of nowhere.

Alaska Senate: Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan is running for reelection against Democrat Mary Peltola, a razor-thin race rocked by a last-minute scandal over how another Dan Sullivan got on the ballot. The count could drag on due to both outstanding ballots and Alaska’s ranked choice voting system, which allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate is the top choice of a majority of voters, the last-place candidate is eliminated and the counting process moves to a second round. Final results aren’t expected until 15 days after Election Day. Both the Sullivan and Peltola campaigns have argued they have the upper hand.

Mississippi Senate: The race between GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democrat Scott Colom was not widely expected to be competitive, but it remains a toss-up. State officials say thousands of mail ballots are outstanding and can legally arrive within five days of the election, and there are an unknown number of “affidavit” ballots from voters whose eligibility needs to be checked. Colom and Hyde-Smith have both predicted that they’ll emerge victorious.

Democrats on Defense

The dozens of red districts that Democrats flipped were the primary story of Tuesday night, but a few Republican House candidates are still trying to swim against the tide, either due to redistricting or a favorable local political makeup.

Maine’s 2nd District: This red, pro-Trump district is one of Republicans’ top opportunities to flip a House seat, after moderate Democratic Rep. Jared Golden’s decision not to run for reelection set the stage for a contest between former GOP Gov. Paul LePage and Democrat Matt Dunlap. Even though Dunlap conceded, officials in Maine say the race will proceed to a ranked-choice tabulation because LePage was just shy of the 50% mark. The tabulation will start Nov. 9.

Florida’s 9th District: This was one of four districts that Florida Republicans tilted to the right in a pre-midterm redistricting campaign — and the only one that hasn’t yet been projected as a Democratic win. Democratic Rep. Darren Soto is trying to stave off a challenge from Republican Dan Green.

Louisiana’s 6th District: This formerly blue-leaning, majority-Black district was redrawn after the Supreme Court voided the state’s maps, finding that mapmakers relied too heavily on race and narrowing the Voting Rights Act. It’s now significantly redder, but since no candidate is close to a majority under the state’s “jungle” primary system, it could go to a runoff next month.

GOP-Held Battlegrounds

Several races held by Republicans still don’t have projections — including in districts that Democrats are hoping to flip.

Colorado’s 4th District: Firebrand Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert is running against Democrat Eileen Laubacher. Boebert switched to the district two years ago, after narrowly winning reelection in a more competitive district in 2022.

Florida’s 7th District: Republican Ryan Elijah is running against Democrat Bale Dalton, after Elijah defeated the scandal-plagued GOP Rep. Cory Mills in a primary. The district has historically leaned red.

Florida’s 26th District: GOP Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart is trying to fend off a challenge from Democrat Nicole Locklin in South Florida.

Florida’s 27th District: It’s a battle between two former Miami-area news anchors — GOP Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar and Democrat Eliott Rodriguez. Salazar made waves earlier this year when she warned President Trump’s immigration policies could alienate Latino voters.

Minnesota’s 1st District: Republican Rep. Brad Finstad is locked in a tight battle against Democrat Jake Johnson, after Finstad won by 17.2 points in 2024. Under state law, candidates who are behind by less than 0.25 points can request a recount.

Tennessee’s 4th District: GOP Rep. Scott DesJarlais is defending his seat against Democrat Victoria Broderick. It’s a red district, though it was made somewhat less red in redistricting.

North Carolina’s 3rd District: GOP Rep. Greg Murphy is running against Democrat Raymond Smith. The district was made slightly bluer during redistricting last year, but it still favors Republicans. 

North Carolina’s 5th District: GOP Rep. Virginia Foxx is facing Democrat Chuck Hubbard. First elected over 20 years ago, Foxx is the longest-serving member of the Tar Heel State’s congressional delegation, which was shaken up in the midterms, with Democrats flipping several House seats and a Senate seat.

North Carolina’s 7th District: Republican Rep. David Rouzer is running against Democrat Kimberly Hardy.

North Carolina’s 10th District: Republican Rep. Pat Harrigan faces Democrat Ashley Bell.

South Carolina’s 2nd District: Longtime Republican Rep. Joe Wilson is running against Democrat Zyon Khalifa.

Arizona’s 2nd District: In a rematch of 2024, Republican Rep. Eli Crane is running against Democrat Jonathan Nez.

Please hold…

Results could take a while in some House districts, either because ballots still need to be counted or because of runoffs. In some California districts, both candidates belong to the same party, so they don’t have any implications for the makeup of Congress.

Alaska’s At-Large District: Republican Rep. Nick Begich is running against Bill Hill, an independent endorsed by Democrats, and a few other candidates. Remember: Alaska has ranked-choice elections, so further tabulation may be needed.

California’s 4th District: In the Napa Valley area, longtime Rep. Mike Thompson is running against businessman and fellow Democrat Eric Jones.

California’s 7th District: This seat was changed significantly by redistricting. Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui is running against another Democrat, Mai Vang.

California’s 23rd District: Republican Rep. Jay Obernolte is running against Democrat Tessa Hodge.

California’s 40th District: After California’s redistricting campaign last year scrambled the House districts in Southern California, incumbent Republican Reps. Ken Calvert and Young Kim are running against each other to represent parts of Orange County and the Inland Empire.

Washington’s 4th District: Republican Amanda McKinney and Democrat John Duresky are running for the district held by retiring Rep. Dan Newhouse, one of the only remaining Republicans who voted to impeach Mr. Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot.

Washington’s 5th District: In Eastern Washington, GOP Rep. Michael Baumgartner is running against Democrat Carmela Conroy.

Louisiana’s 5th District: Democrat Patricia Moore and Republican Gabe Firment are headed to a December runoff in this deeply conservative district. It’s currently held by GOP Rep. Julia Letlow, who was elected to the Senate this week.