Democrats have seized control of the US Senate, with the Associated Press reporting late on Tuesday 3 November that the party had won back the chamber in the 2026 midterm elections. The Democrats win Senate control after a night in which Republican-held seats fell from Texas to North Carolina, ending the GOP’s 53-47 grip on the upper house.
The result, combined with Democratic gains in the House, means President Donald Trump will face a Congress controlled by his opponents for the final two years of his term once the new members are sworn in in January.
How the Democrats win Senate seats in Trump country
AP reporting, published by PBS NewsHour shortly before midnight Eastern time, listed a string of Democratic gains in seats previously held by Republicans:
- Texas: James Talarico beat Republican Ken Paxton. NBC News projected the race for Talarico.
- North Carolina: Former governor Roy Cooper took the open seat. The AP called the contest, according to Northeastern University’s election analysis.
- Ohio: Sherrod Brown returned to the Senate by defeating Senator Jon Husted.
- Iowa: Josh Turek beat Congresswoman Ashley Hinson.
- Kansas: Adam Hamilton unseated Senator Roger Marshall.
- South Carolina: Annie Andrews defeated Republican Darline Graham.
Democrats also held on to two seats they were defending. Jon Ossoff was re-elected in Georgia over Republican Mike Collins, while Chris Pappas beat former senator John Sununu in New Hampshire to succeed the retiring Jeanne Shaheen. Republicans kept Florida, where Ashley Moody won the special election for Marco Rubio’s old seat, and Wyoming, where Harriet Hageman was elected to replace Cynthia Lummis.
Collins concedes in Maine
One of the night’s biggest shocks came in Maine, where veteran Republican Susan Collins lost her bid for a sixth term to Democrat Troy Jackson. CNN called the race shortly after 12.15am Eastern time with about two-thirds of the vote counted and Jackson roughly five points ahead, Newsweek reported.
Maine Public reported that Collins conceded before the Associated Press had made its own call in the race.
An AP-based round-up published on Wednesday said Democrats were on course for at least 53 Senate seats when the new Congress meets.
Races still not called
Even as Democrats win Senate seats across the map, not every contest has been settled. Alaska’s race between Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola was still pending in late-night reports, complicated by a second candidate named Dan Sullivan on the ballot. The Trump administration had filed a lawsuit seeking to block certification if Sullivan lost, though CBS News reported a federal judge dismissed it on Sunday.
In Michigan, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed was leading Republican Mike Rogers in early counting, but the race had not been called as of 11pm Eastern on Tuesday, according to Northeastern’s analysis. Readers should treat any seat not listed above as not yet called.
What it means for Trump
Trump responded by saying he would use his veto to block the Democratic agenda, pointing to likely gridlock in Washington. On social media he argued Republicans would have won big had he been on the ballot himself.
Northeastern political scientist Costas Panagopoulos described the night as “a full-blown repudiation” of Trump and Republican policies, though colleague Martha Johnson cautioned against reading it as a clear-cut victory.
Now that Democrats win Senate control as well as the House, the party will gain power over judicial and cabinet confirmations as well as the chamber’s legislative calendar, setting up a tense final stretch of Trump’s presidency.
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Sources: PBS NewsHour (Associated Press), Northeastern Global News, Maine Public, Newsweek, NJ Today, CBS News
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