Democrats Projected to Win US House as Midterm Gains Deliver Setback for Trump

Democrats are projected to regain control of the US House of Representatives after the November 3, 2026, midterm elections, according to CBS News , delivering an electoral setback for President Donald Trump as preliminary surveys show widespread frustration with his performance.

As of November 4, the available reporting also showed Democrats capturing three Republican Senate seats and two Republican governorships. Senate control remained unresolved in the verified results available for this report.

The CBS House projection goes beyond the Associated Press snapshot available through 11:03 p.m. EST on November 3, which recorded at least seven Democratic pickups but did not award either congressional chamber to a party. News organizations’ race calls and projections are not certified final results.

Senate Gains in Texas and the Carolinas

AP called Texas for Democrat James Talarico over Republican Ken Paxton at 11:03 p.m. EST on November 3. Democrats also flipped North Carolina, where former Governor Roy Cooper defeated Michael Whatley, and South Carolina, where Annie Andrews won.

Democrats entered the election needing four net pickups to take the Senate. Those three victories would leave them one net pickup short, provided they retain their remaining seats.

Democratic Senators Jon Ossoff in Georgia and Chris Pappas in New Hampshire won their races, protecting seats rather than adding to the party’s pickup count. Republican Ashley Moody won Florida’s Senate special election.

House and Governor Results

AP’s reported House pickups included Rebecca Bennett’s victory over Representative Tom Kean Jr. in New Jersey’s 7th District and Democratic wins in Pennsylvania’s 8th and 10th districts by Paige Cognetti and Janelle Stelson.

Zach Dembo won Kentucky’s 6th District, while Jamie Ager captured North Carolina’s 11th. The reported total of at least seven Republican seats flipped is a pickup count, not a final net gain, because Republican victories elsewhere and outstanding races also matter.

In governor races, Democrats Amy Acton in Ohio and Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia captured Republican governorships, according to AP. Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor of a US state.

Republicans retained the governorships in Florida and Arkansas, with victories by Byron Donalds and Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Voters Cite Prices and Presidential Accountability

The preliminary AP Voter Poll found roughly four in ten voters cast ballots to oppose Trump, compared with fewer than two in ten voting to support him. About six in ten disapproved of his performance.

According to AP’s survey reporting, approximately six in ten voters attributed unusually high costs more to Trump’s policies. That finding records voters’ assessments, not proof that particular policies caused higher prices.

About seven in ten wanted Congress to provide stronger checks and balances. AP also reported strong Democratic support among younger and Hispanic voters, although those findings do not establish that individual voters switched parties.

The results and polling indicate dissatisfaction with Trump, but they do not by themselves establish an unqualified endorsement of Democrats. With Senate control unresolved in the available reporting, remaining race calls and final net seat totals are essential to assessing the full outcome.