Control of Congress shifted in the 2026 midterm elections as Democrats decisively won the Senate and picked up dozens of House seats in what is on track to be one of the largest midterm routs in recent decades. While the final tallies remain incomplete with more than two dozen House races and two Senate contests uncalled by The Associated Press, the broader balance of power is taking shape.
Uncalled Senate Contests in Alaska and Mississippi
Two Senate races remain undecided. In Alaska, Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan is running for reelection against Democrat Mary Peltola in a race featuring a last-minute ballot scandal. Because Alaska uses ranked-choice voting and no candidate in the four-person field achieved a 50% majority in the initial count, the contest may proceed to another round of counting later in the month, with final results expected up to 15 days after Election Day.
In Mississippi, the matchup between GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democrat Scott Colom remains a toss-up separated by fewer than 2,000 votes. State officials report that thousands of mail ballots can legally arrive within five days of the election, alongside an unknown number of affidavit ballots requiring eligibility checks.
House Battlegrounds and Ranked-Choice Tabulations
House control hinges on remaining districts across the map, including competitive Republican-held seats and contests in Western states where ballot counting continues. In Maine’s 2nd District, moderate Democratic Rep. Jared Golden’s decision not to step up for reelection set up a contest between former GOP Gov. Paul LePage and Democrat Matt Dunlap. Even though Dunlap conceded, state officials state the race will proceed to a ranked-choice tabulation starting November 9 because LePage sat just shy of the 50% threshold.
Louisiana’s 6th District, redrawn after the Supreme Court voided previous maps and found mapmakers relied too heavily on race, is significantly redder. Because no candidate neared a majority under the state’s jungle primary system, the contest could head to a runoff next month.
Uncalled House Seats Feature Rematches and Same-Party Matchups
Uncalled House seats stretch across multiple states, featuring rematches and intra-party battles. In Arizona’s 2nd District, a 2024 rematch pits Republican Rep. Eli Crane against Democrat Jonathan Nez. California contests feature same-party matchups under the state’s primary rules, such as Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui running against Mai Vang in the 7th District, and representatives Ken Calvert and Young Kim facing each other in the 40th District following a redistricting scramble.
In Washington’s 4th District, Republican Amanda McKinney and Democrat John Duresky compete for the seat held by retiring Rep. Dan Newhouse, one of the remaining Republicans who voted to impeach Mr. Trump following the January 6, 2021, riot. Louisiana’s 5th District similarly heads to a December runoff between Democrat Patricia Moore and Republican Gabe Firment, following the election of current occupant GOP Rep. Julia Letlow to the Senate.
Before the election, the Cook Report classified six Senate races as genuine toss-ups. Thirty-three of the 100 members of the upper chamber were being elected regularly this year, alongside two other special elections, with Republicans holding the Senate majority prior to the vote. Across the legislature, the lower chamber features 435 voting seats, with Republicans defending a majority in the House of Representatives.
In various jurisdictions, election procedures shape how outcomes are determined. While most US congressional elections use a first-past-the-post voting system, Maine and Alaska employ ranked-choice voting where voters rank candidates in order of preference and the candidate with the highest number of votes is declared the winner. In states like Georgia and Louisiana, winning candidates must garner 50% of the votes cast, failing which a runoff election is held between the top two candidates. The Associated Press continues to update estimates for the total vote in each state as more data on voter turnout becomes available.
Earlier coverage: Trump Loses House and Senate in 2026 Midterm Elections