Democrats gain seats in 2026 midterms as several races remain uncalled
Early reports showed Democratic gains across Congress and state offices, but outstanding races and conflicting Senate counts kept the picture provisional.
By Theo Nakamura · Staff Writer
· 3 min read
The 2026 midterm election results point to broad Democratic gains, but the available tallies were still incomplete as of Wednesday. For readers following the balance of power in Washington, the immediate takeaway is that Democrats were reported or projected to have won the House and Senate, though several races had not been called.
CNBC reported Wednesday afternoon that Democrats had flipped seven Republican-held Senate seats, at least 24 House districts, five governorships and 12 state legislative chambers. The outlet, citing Associated Press data, said Republicans had not flipped a Democratic-held congressional seat, governorship or legislative chamber at that point.
Those counts were provisional. CNBC said late Wednesday that nine House contests, two Senate races and two governor races remained uncalled. That means neither the number of seats changing hands nor the final margins were settled in the reports reviewed.
What do the 2026 midterm election results show so far?
NPR reported at 6:22 a.m. ET Wednesday that Democrats held 222 House seats, enough for a majority, with many contests still undecided. The House has 435 voting members, according to the House of Representatives, so 218 seats is the minimum needed for control.
NBC News projected that Democrats had captured both chambers of Congress. CNBC also reported that Democratic Senate wins included Kansas, Texas, Iowa, South Carolina, Ohio, Maine and North Carolina. But CNBC described the overall Senate total as seven flips while naming eight states. NBC News made the same seven-seat claim while also listing eight states. The excerpts do not resolve that discrepancy, so the Senate-flip total should be treated cautiously.
CNBC reported Democratic gubernatorial wins in Georgia, Iowa, Ohio and Nevada, and said Democrats had won five governorships in total. At the state legislative level, it reported Democratic control of the Texas House, both chambers in Wisconsin and the North Carolina House. CNBC also said unofficial results indicated Democrats could take both legislative chambers in Arizona.
The election unfolded after Republican lawmakers pursued mid-decade congressional map redraws in Texas, Florida and North Carolina, CNBC reported. The reports establish that those efforts occurred, but do not establish how much they affected the outcomes.
What could a Democratic House majority do?
NPR political correspondent Mara Liasson said a Democratic House majority could conduct investigations and pass bills. She also said proposed legislation might not become law, noting that Democrats did not have a veto-proof Senate majority in NPR's account.
For now, the clearest distinction is between projected chamber control and final race-by-race results. Democrats' early gains were substantial in the reports, while the claim that Republicans had made no comparable flips was tied to AP data and remained subject to the outstanding calls.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.
