Who Controls Congress After the 2026 Midterms?

All 435 voting seats in the House are on the ballot, as they are every two years. 218 seats are needed for a majority. Going into the election the chamber stood at 218 Republicans and 214 Democrats, with 2 seats vacant.

We track the House in aggregate rather than race by race — the networks and wire services own individual House calls, and this page is not trying to beat them on speed. For the paths each party has to 218, see how Democrats could win the House and how Republicans could hold it.

Usually not on election night. In 2022, control of the Senate was not settled until the Saturday after Election Day, and the House was not called until the following Wednesday — eight days after polls closed. Close races in states that count mail ballots slowly, plus any runoff, can extend it further.

Two states with Senate races on the ballot require an outright majority to win: Georgia and Mississippi, both of which hold runoffs on December 1, 2026 if no candidate clears 50%. Louisiana moved to closed party primaries this cycle, so its Senate runoff already happened in June — its November race is settled on the day. If a Georgia or Mississippi race is close enough to matter, control of the Senate could remain unresolved into December. See how Senate runoffs work.

Which states keep counting mail ballots for days, when each state certifies, and what triggers a recount: when will we know the 2026 results, state by state.

Winners do not take office immediately. The outgoing Congress returns for a lame-duck session, party caucuses elect their leaders in November, and the 120th Congress convenes on January 3, 2027, when the House holds its first order of business — the election of the Speaker.