Nine days after Election Day, the 2026 midterms are still reshaping Washington. Democrats made big gains across the country, Republicans are arguing over who or what to blame, and President Trump has already shaken up his White House. Here is where the count stands and what is happening next.
Where the count stands
House (as of Nov. 12, 5:25pm IST, per the Associated Press): AP's count shows Democrats with 255 seats and Republicans with 168. Twelve seats are counted as won for no party in AP's results, and the results do not say why or which way those seats will go.
Senate (as of Nov. 12, 5:24pm IST, per AP): Democrats have a total of 55, which includes two others who caucus with them, and Republicans have a total of 44. One seat is counted as won or held over for no party in AP's results, and the results do not say why or which way it will go.
The labels "Majority reached" (House) and "Control reached" (Senate) beside the Democrats are tally labels, not calls by AP. These numbers can change as counting continues.
NBC News projected a Democratic takeover of both chambers, and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries is expected to become speaker when the new Congress convenes in January, NBC reported. The Cook Political Report's tracker had Democrats ahead in the national House vote by about 12.8 percentage points as of Nov. 7, per Yahoo News' live coverage.
The races still being watched
- Mississippi Senate: AP has called the race for Democrat Scott Colom, who unseated Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith. As of Nov. 12, 4:47am IST, AP's count shows Colom with 473,336 votes (49.2%) and Hyde-Smith with 468,667 votes (48.7%), with an estimated 99% of votes counted (AP results).
- Alaska Senate: AP has not called this race and the count is not finished. As of Nov. 12, 9:04am IST, AP shows Democrat Mary Peltola with 121,487 votes (48.9%) and Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan with 117,512 votes (47.3%), with an estimated 86% of votes counted (AP results). The Anchorage Daily News reported that if no candidate tops 50%, ranked-choice tabulation begins Nov. 18.
- Colorado's 4th District and Kansas governor: As of Nov. 7 reporting, Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert trailed Democrat Eileen Laubacher by about 3,200 votes with counties due to finish counting by Nov. 13, and the Kansas governor's race had triggered a hand-count audit with Democrat Cindy Holscher declaring victory while Republican Ty Masterson had not conceded. Check AP's Colorado page for the latest.
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| Source: Associated Press, Nov. 13, 2026. |
The Iran war moves to the center of the blame game
Trump acknowledged that the Iran war contributed to Republican losses but defended his decision to pursue it, saying he would do it again because Iran must not have a nuclear weapon. Vice President JD Vance went further, saying the war was the main reason Republicans lost. House Oversight chairman James Comer, a Republican, said GOP voters he talks to are angry about Iran and that there are open questions about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's strategy (Yahoo News). Retiring Rep. Thomas Massie said he plans to introduce articles of impeachment against Hegseth, who dismissed the effort in a video. For background on how the Iran crisis escalated, see our earlier coverage: Iran Supreme Leader Khamenei Killed: What Happened and What Comes Next?
Trump reshuffles his team
On Nov. 6, Trump named Stephen Miller, the architect of his immigration crackdown, as White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles, who moves to the Trump political operation. The move split opinion. Vance called it a well-deserved promotion and Sen. Mike Lee praised Miller, while Democrats such as Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries criticized the choice, as did some Republicans, including Rep. Marlin Stutzman, who argued Miller's immigration stance cost the party Latino support. Trump has said he is willing to work with Democrats but will use his veto when needed.
What Democrats say they will do in January
- Oversight: Incoming House Oversight chair Rep. Robert Garcia said he plans to investigate Trump family business dealings, including cryptocurrency investments and Pentagon contracts. Follow the money angle on our Cryptocurrency page.
- Cost of living and health care: The House Democratic caucus chair said the party will push to expand affordable health care and restore Medicaid and food assistance funding (NBC).
- Data centers: Several newly elected Democrats campaigned on restricting data centers, and Texas Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa pledged an immediate moratorium on new ones. AI-related stocks fell on regulation fears, while Trump said states that say no to data centers are passing up riches. That connects directly to this week's turmoil at the world's biggest AI chipmaker: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang faces possible ouster.
Ballot measures: a mixed picture
Voters in Nevada and Virginia approved amendments protecting abortion rights, Missouri voters rejected a measure that would have repealed their 2024 abortion-rights amendment, and Idaho voters rejected an abortion-rights initiative. Meanwhile, ballot measures restricting transgender athletes passed in Washington, Nebraska, Arizona and Colorado, and Missouri's combined measure on gender-affirming care failed (Yahoo News).
What to watch next
- Final calls in Alaska, Colorado's 4th District and Kansas.
- Whether a Hegseth impeachment resolution is actually introduced.
- How Miller's first weeks as chief of staff play out.
- The January swearing-in and the first fights over spending and oversight.
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