Democrats are projected to take control of the US House of Representatives in the 2026 midterms, a major setback for President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, the BBC reported on Wednesday. Vote counting continues in several states.
All 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats were contested in Tuesday’s election. Democrats won Republican-held Senate seats in Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina and Ohio, and held their seats in Georgia and New Hampshire.
In Texas, James Talarico defeated Ken Paxton, becoming the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in the state since 1988. In South Carolina, Annie Andrews defeated Darline Graham, becoming the state’s first woman elected to the Senate and its first Democratic senator in more than 20 years. Roy Cooper beat Michael Whatley in North Carolina, and Sherrod Brown defeated incumbent Jon Husted in Ohio.Control of the Senate remains unresolved, though Republican hold on the chamber is under serious pressure.
A Democratic House could step up scrutiny of the Trump administration, including investigations into its policies and decisions, the BBC noted. It could also investigate the president and his family, and limit what Trump achieves in his remaining two years.
Trump distanced himself from the losses. “I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!” he wrote on Truth Social. In a later New York Times interview, he said he was willing to accept the results and work with Democrats.
