Democrats have won a Senate majority in the 2026 elections, taking control from Republicans after securing victories in a series of closely contested races. The outcome changes control of the upper chamber as President Trump approaches the final two years of his presidency, although the size of the Democratic majority is still unresolved.
Democrats were projected to capture Republican-held seats in Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Kansas and Iowa. They also retained their seats in Georgia and New Hampshire. The gains came as several states grew unexpectedly competitive near the end of the campaign, widening the field of races in which Democrats could challenge Republican control.
Before the election, Republicans held 53 Senate seats to Democrats' 47. Democrats needed a net gain of four seats to secure a majority, with more than one-third of the chamber being contested this cycle. Republicans had more seats to defend than Democrats, giving the Democratic Party opportunities to make gains, even though many of those contests initially appeared difficult.
Most of the Republican seats on the ballot were in states Trump had carried by comfortable margins in the previous presidential election. In the campaign's closing months, however, the unpopular war with Iran and elevated gasoline and diesel prices helped make additional states competitive for Democrats. That shift placed Republican-held seats in play beyond the races the party might otherwise have faced pressure to defend.
Republicans spent hundreds of millions of dollars protecting seats in states including Texas, Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and Ohio. Trump had won those states by double-digit margins just two years earlier. Despite the Republican spending advantage, Democrats won enough contests to take the majority, overcoming the party's efforts to preserve its hold on the chamber.
The result returns Democrats to Senate control after Republicans won the chamber in 2024. Democrats had last secured a majority in 2022. Their latest victory gives them authority over which measures reach a Senate floor vote and the ability to block Trump's nominees, substantially restricting the president's ability to advance legislation during the remainder of his term.
CBS News also projected that Democrats would win control of the House. Together with the Senate result, that projection points to a change in control of both chambers of Congress as Trump enters his final two years in office.
