Five days after polls closed, the outline of the next Congress has become clear, and it looks very different from the one Washington has had.
Voters went to the polls on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, to fill every seat in the House of Representatives and roughly a third of the Senate. As of this weekend, Democrats have secured a majority in the Senate, with 54 seats to Republicans' 44 (a seat total of 100, including independents who caucus with each party, with a handful of races still being finalized), and a majority in the House, with 259 seats to Republicans' 176 out of 435. That is a full reversal of Republican control in both chambers heading into the final two years of President Trump's second term.
Some of the marquee contests have already been decided. In Virginia, Democratic Senator Mark Warner won reelection, defeating Republican challenger Bert Mizusawa, and Virginia's 11-member House delegation will send eight Democrats and three Republicans to Washington. In New Jersey, Democratic Senator Cory Booker sought a third full term against Republican challenger Justin Murphy, a former deputy mayor of Tabernacle Township; Republicans have not won a Senate race in New Jersey since 1972. Further south, a contest few expected to be competitive, Mississippi's Senate race, remained too close to call over the weekend, with Democrat Colom at 49.1 percent and Republican incumbent Hyde-Smith at 48.8 percent.
The scale of the shift has set off a round of soul-searching in both parties. Republican strategists are questioning the president's influence over his own party after what some described as a difficult night for the GOP, despite heavy spending on political advertising. On the Democratic side, incoming Senate leadership is already facing internal debate, with some Democrats expressing skepticism about Chuck Schumer continuing in the role of majority leader. Markets initially cheered the clarity: stocks rallied the day after the election, before a separate bout of technology-sector selling took hold later in the week.
With full control of the House and a working Senate majority, Democrats are expected to use the incoming Congress to shape spending bills, oversight, and foreign policy, including the government's approach to the Middle East, when the new Congress is seated in January.
Did Democrats win both chambers of Congress?
Based on results reported so far, Democrats won majorities in both the House (259 to 176) and the Senate (54 to 44), though a small number of races were still being finalized.
Were any big Senate races still undecided?
Yes, Mississippi's Senate race between Democrat Colom and Republican incumbent Hyde-Smith remained too close to call over the weekend.