Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the Nov. 3 midterm elections, according to preliminary results reported by The Associated Press. The change will end Republican control of the legislature when the new Congress convenes in January 2027.
The results give Democrats control of the House and Senate for the final two years of President Donald Trump’s term. The party will lead congressional committees and will be positioned to conduct oversight of the administration. The preliminary results also give Democrats the ability to block legislation supported by the president and congressional Republicans.
Preliminary congressional numbers
Democrats were projected to win at least 245 of the House’s 435 seats, according to projections cited by CBS News. At least 218 seats are required for a majority. Republicans were projected to win at least 166 seats, leaving some races unsettled as vote counting continued in several states.
In the Senate, Democrats had secured 54 seats as of 2:30 a.m. ET Wednesday, according to the preliminary results cited in the coverage. A Democratic victory in Iowa helped the party reach control of the chamber.
- Democrats are projected to hold at least 245 House seats, compared with at least 166 for Republicans.
- The party had secured 54 Senate seats in the preliminary count.
- The new congressional majorities are scheduled to take office in January 2027.
Senate gains in Republican-leaning states
Democrats won several Senate contests in states that have generally supported Republican candidates. In Texas, James Talarico defeated Ken Paxton, a candidate backed by Trump, to become the first Democrat elected to the state’s Senate seat in more than three decades.
Adam Hamilton defeated Republican Sen. Roger Marshall in Kansas, which had not elected a Democratic senator for nearly a century. In Maine, Troy Jackson defeated Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who conceded the race. Former Sen. Sherrod Brown also returned to the Senate after defeating Republican incumbent Jon Husted in Ohio. Husted had previously been appointed to the seat held by Vice President JD Vance.
Democrats also won a Senate seat in South Carolina, while the Michigan contest remained undercounted in the preliminary results. CBS projected Democrat Abdul El-Sayed as the winner over Rep. Mike Rogers in that race.
The election results will place Democratic lawmakers in charge of congressional committees beginning in January. The incoming majorities are expected to focus their oversight on the Trump administration’s policies, while the administration continues into the final two years of the president’s term.
