Democrats Win House Control and Make Historic Gains in Senate

Democrats are projected to take control of the U.S. House of Representatives, ending the Republicans' narrow majority and delivering a major setback to President Donald Trump's legislative agenda.

Democrats secured major victories in the 2026 midterm elections, winning control of both chambers of Congress after flipping seats in several traditionally Republican states.

The Democratic Party was projected to win at least 218 House seats, the threshold required for a majority, while Republicans were projected to secure at least 160 seats, according to CBS News projections cited by BBC News.

Democrats also made major gains in the Senate, with victories in states that had been considered Republican strongholds.

Among the notable results was a Democratic victory in South Carolina, where pediatrician Annie Andrews defeated Republican Darline Graham in a major upset.

Reporting for Semafor, Burgess Everett described how Democrats entered election night with early victories by Georgia incumbent Jon Ossoff and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper.

Ossoff secured reelection, while Cooper flipped a Republican-held Senate seat.

The early results encouraged Democratic groups to redirect resources toward other competitive races, including Mississippi, South Carolina and Kansas.

The party also invested in battleground states such as Michigan and Maine as Republican-aligned groups, including the Senate Leadership Fund super PAC, continued spending heavily to protect GOP seats.

The Democratic victories in South Carolina and other Republican-leaning states helped the party secure control of the Senate as well, setting up a significant shift in congressional power when the new Congress convenes in January.