Democrats regained control of the US Senate in the 2026 midterm elections after securing the four seats needed to take the chamber from Republicans, with results confirming the party’s victory on Tuesday night local time.
Democratic wins in South Carolina, North Carolina, Texas, Ohio and Kansas altered the balance of power in the Senate. Victories in South Carolina and Texas, both long regarded as Republican strongholds, were seen as particularly significant.
In South Carolina, Democratic candidate and physician Annie Andrews reclaimed the Senate seat by defeating Republican candidate Darlene Graham, the sister of the late longtime senator Lindsey Graham. A Democrat had last won a Senate election in the state in 1998.
Former North Carolina governor Roy Cooper, the Democratic candidate, defeated his Republican rival Michael Whatley to win the seat.
In Texas, Democratic candidate James Talarico secured a major victory over state Attorney General Ken Paxton. Talarico, a theology student, won in a state where a Democrat had last won a statewide election in 1994.
In Ohio, Democrat Sherrod Brown defeated incumbent Republican Senator John Husted, taking the seat from Republican control.
In Kansas, Democratic candidate and megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton defeated Republican Senator Roger Marshall. Kansas had last elected a Democratic senator in 1932.
In the outgoing 119th Congress, Republicans held 53 seats in the 100-member Senate, while Democrats held 45. Two independent senators caucused with Democrats. Tuesday’s results will place control of the Senate in Democratic hands.
The result is also set to end the Republicans’ Washington “trifecta”. Following their victory in the 2024 election, Republicans controlled the Senate, the House of Representatives and the presidency.
Control of the Senate had been expected to be harder to change than control of the House in the midterm elections because fewer Senate seats were contested.
Members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms, while senators serve six-year terms. Senate elections are held on a staggered basis, meaning only about one-third of the chamber’s seats are contested in each election.
Voting was held in 35 Senate races in the midterm elections, including 33 regular elections and two special elections in Ohio and Florida.
The special elections were required after then-Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio resigned their Senate seats after joining President Donald Trump’s second administration in 2025.
At least seven Senate contests were expected to be closely fought on Tuesday, in Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Michigan. Texas and Kansas are not usually included among competitive states because they are considered strong Republican bases.
Democrats also retained several seats already under their control. Senator Jon Ossoff won re-election in the swing state of Georgia, while Mark Warner, who has served in the Senate for 17 years, retained his Virginia seat.