US midterm results: early wins for Democrats, but control of Congress still undecided
Early results from the 2026 US midterms show Democrats winning the first Senate calls in Virginia, Georgia and New Hampshire, with counting still under way and neither chamber's control decided.
As of the morning of 4 November in India, early results from the 2026 US midterm elections show Democrats winning the first Senate races called in Virginia, Georgia and New Hampshire, and early House returns leaning their way. Counting is still under way in most states, key races remain uncalled, and control of neither the House nor the Senate has been decided.
Three Senate calls go to Democrats
Democrats won the first three Senate races called on election night. In Virginia, incumbent Mark Warner won re-election, the first Senate race called by the Associated Press. In Georgia, incumbent Jon Ossoff was projected by NBC News and Decision Desk HQ to defeat Republican challenger Mike Collins, holding a seat Republicans had viewed as one of their best chances to flip.
In New Hampshire, Democrat Chris Pappas defeated former Republican senator John E. Sununu for the seat left open by retiring senator Jeanne Shaheen, according to multiple outlets. Pappas will become the first openly gay man to serve in the US Senate. All three results are Democratic holds rather than gains from Republicans, so they do not by themselves change the balance of the chamber.
House returns lean Democratic; governors still taking shape
Early House results also pointed in the Democrats' favour, with USA Today reporting that early returns in some contests signalled it could be a strong night for the party. Democrats held seats including Florida's 20th district, where Debbie Wasserman Schultz won re-election, and Florida's 25th, where Jared Moskowitz held on despite a redraw by the state's Republican-led legislature designed to favour Republicans.
The early governor picture was mixed. Live coverage reported Democrats taking four governor seats in early calls, while several of the most closely watched governor races were still too early to call, including Ohio, where Republican Vivek Ramaswamy faces Democrat Amy Acton. In Florida's Senate race for an unexpired term, Democrat Angie Nixon was narrowly ahead of Republican incumbent Ashley Moody in partial counts, with just over half the votes counted at the time of reporting.
Exit polls: dissatisfaction and a 38% approval rating
Exit polls pointed to a dissatisfied electorate. Both CBS News and NBC News exit polls put President Donald Trump's approval rating at 38% among midterm voters. CNN's Voter Poll found around three-quarters of voters dissatisfied with the direction of the country, and around six in 10 disapproving of Trump's job performance.
The Associated Press Voter Poll found around seven in 10 voters believe Congress is not doing enough to provide checks and balances on the presidency. Affordability and inflation were top of mind for many voters, with the cost of living, including fuel prices, repeatedly cited by voters speaking to reporters. Democrats need a net gain of four Senate seats and three House seats to take control of Congress, so the early calls alone do not settle either chamber.
What is still to come
Counting is still under way across much of the country, and many of the races that will decide control remain uncalled, including Senate contests in Kentucky, where Republican Andy Barr led the very early count, as well as North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Michigan, Maine, Texas, Kansas and Alaska. Polls had closed in more than 40 states by late evening US time, but results in the west of the country were still coming in.
Republicans were already preparing for possible recounts, with the National Republican Senatorial Committee and Alaska senator Dan Sullivan's campaign filing paperwork for a recount fund. Readers should treat every figure in this article as an early, partial picture that will change as more votes are counted.
Editorial disclosure
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Frequently asked questions
Have Democrats won control of Congress?
No. As of the morning of 4 November IST, only early results were in. Democrats had won the first Senate races called, but control of neither the House nor the Senate had been decided.
Which Senate races had been called early?
Virginia (Mark Warner, Democrat), Georgia (Jon Ossoff, Democrat) and New Hampshire (Chris Pappas, Democrat). All three were Democratic holds, not gains from Republicans.
What did the exit polls show?
CBS News and NBC News exit polls put President Donald Trump's approval rating at 38% among midterm voters, and around three-quarters of voters told CNN's Voter Poll they were dissatisfied with the direction of the country.