US midterms 2026 results: Democrats win the House and Senate in blow to Trump

Updated 4 Nov 2026, 09:36 · First published 4 Nov 2026

Democrats have won control of both houses of the US Congress in the midterm elections, taking the Senate and the House of Representatives from Donald Trump’s Republicans in what the Associated Press called a “shockingly decisive rebuke” of Republican governance in Washington.

Who won the Senate?

Democrats needed a net gain of four seats to take the 100-seat Senate. The decisive moment came in Iowa, where Democrat Josh Turek beat Republican Ashley Hinson, and the Associated Press then called the chamber for Democrats.

Republicans held on in Florida, where Senator Ashley Moody was declared the winner, and Byron Donalds won the race for Florida governor.

Who won the House of Representatives?

Republicans went into the election with a slim 218-214 majority in the 435-seat House. The Associated Press called the chamber for Democrats early on Wednesday morning, UK time. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who was re-elected in New York, is now in line to become Speaker when the new Congress meets in January.

How has Donald Trump reacted?

Speaking to The New York Times at the White House as the results came in on Tuesday night, Mr Trump said he was “absolutely willing” to accept the outcome and work with Democrats, adding: “We’ll probably work something out.” He blamed his party’s losses on the fact that he was not on the ballot himself.

But he also posted an image of a red cap reading “VETO” on his Truth Social platform, repeating his warning that he will use his presidential veto to block Democratic laws.

Why does this matter?

Midterm elections take place halfway through a president’s four-year term. With Democrats in charge of both chambers, President Trump will find it much harder to pass laws, and Democrats will control congressional committees, which means investigations and the power to block his nominees in the Senate.

A CNN exit poll suggested around six in ten voters disapproved of the job Mr Trump is doing.

What does it mean for the UK?

Foreign and trade policy stays in the White House, so the President still leads on tariffs, Ukraine and NATO. But a Democratic Congress can hold up spending and trade deals, and many in Westminster will expect a more traditional tone on alliances from Capitol Hill. Markets in London will be watching the dollar and US bond markets today.

When do the new members take office?

The new Congress is sworn in on 3 January 2027. Until then, the current Republican majorities remain in place for the so-called “lame duck” session.

Sources: Associated Press race calls, CBS News, NBC News, CNN, Forbes and Northeastern University live coverage of the 2026 midterms, CNN exit poll, The New York Times (via Gulf News). Embedded posts from @AP, @jamestalarico and @RepJeffries on X; videos from CNN, Bloomberg Television and ITV News on YouTube. Results are still being counted in some states. Photo: the US Capitol, Martin Falbisoner / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.