2026 U.S. Midterm Elections: The Battle for Control of Congress

Reporting on the focus of the 2026 US midterm elections and the battle for control of Congress. 35 Senate seats and all 435 House seats will be up for election, alongside 36 gubernatorial and state legislature elections. The results will determine the political landscape in Washington during the final two years of Trump's second term.

Video Link:

Full Text:

The focus of the 2026 midterm elections is who will control Congress during the final two years of President Donald Trump's second term. Republicans are fighting to maintain their majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, while Democrats are hoping to win control to alter the balance of political power in Washington. President Trump has been campaigning for Republican candidates in several key battleground states. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer stated that voters want the country to move in a new direction.

Senators have returned to their respective home states to campaign during the Washington recess. The 2026 midterm elections will be held on November 3, when 35 of the 100 Senate seats will be contested. Prior to the election, Republicans held 53 seats in the Senate and Democrats held 45, with two independent senators caucusing with the Democrats, making the partisan split 53 to 47. Closely watched Senate races include Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, and Texas.

House members are also returning to their districts to campaign for reelection and mobilize potential voters. All 435 House seats are up for election. Heading into the 2026 elections, the chamber consists of 218 Republicans, 214 Democrats, one independent member, and two vacant seats. Out of five presidents from Bill Clinton to Joe Biden, four saw their party lose the House majority in their first midterm elections in office, with the only exception being the 2002 midterms during President George W. Bush's administration. In 2022, Republicans wrested control of the House from President Joe Biden's Democrats. In 2018, during Trump's first presidential term, Democrats won control of the House from Republicans.

The year 2026 will also feature gubernatorial elections in 36 states and state legislative elections. Members of Congress elected in the 2026 elections will begin their terms on January 3, 2027.