US voters are choosing members of Congress and governors in the November 3, 2026, midterm elections, with Republican control of both congressional chambers at stake. Although President Donald Trump is not on the ballot, the results could reshape his administration's political position and offer an early indication of voter priorities for the 2028 presidential campaign.
More than 57 million people had voted by Monday, according to the University of Florida Election Lab, exceeding the 46 million early voters recorded in the 2022 midterms. OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan watchdog, projects that candidates and outside political groups will spend $11.9 billion, making this the most expensive US election in history. Campaign finance records showed that Elon Musk alone had spent about $366 million supporting Republicans as of three weeks ago.
Republicans hold a 218-214 House majority, with two vacancies and one independent who caucuses with them. Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control. They also need four additional seats in the Senate, where Republicans lead 53-47. Twelve Senate contests, including races in conservative-leaning Kansas and Texas, could determine which party wins the chamber.
Reuters/Ipsos polling puts approval of Trump's performance at 32%, close to a record low. Rising consumer prices could weaken Republican support, while University of Florida Election Lab data indicate greater Democratic enthusiasm and more ballots already cast by Democrats. Some Latino voters who moved toward Trump in 2024 also appear to be returning to Democrats amid dissatisfaction with the economy and aspects of his immigration enforcement. Nevertheless, skepticism toward Democrats, Republican campaign spending advantages and moderate voters' concerns about left-wing primary winners could limit Democratic gains.
A Democratic House victory would likely elevate New York Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the party's current House leader, to speaker. He would become the first Black American in the role, which is second in the presidential succession after the vice president. Jeffries has said Democrats would investigate what he calls "unprecedented levels of corruption" in the Trump administration and prioritize making healthcare, groceries, housing, energy and other expenses more affordable.
If Republicans retain the House, Mike Johnson could remain speaker, although another Republican could take the position if a challenge succeeds. The party's likely priorities include further tax cuts, major defense spending increases and deeper reductions to the social safety net, extending policies in Trump's 2025 "One Big Beautiful Bill."
Closely watched House contests include Representative Mike Lawler's reelection campaign in a New York district carried by Kamala Harris in 2024. Another is an open Nebraska swing-district seat, where farmers and truckers are confronting sharply higher fuel costs resulting from the US war against Iran. Democrats are also targeting two Republican-held seats in Pennsylvania and one in New Jersey.
Beyond Congress, voters are selecting governors in 36 states and state legislators in nearly every state. Ballotpedia puts Republicans' share of state legislative seats at 55%, compared with Democrats' 43.8%. Previous midterms illustrate the potential for major shifts: Republicans gained 63 House seats in 2010 under Barack Obama, while Democrats gained a net 40 House seats during Trump's presidency in 2018.
The elections also face uncertainty over whether Trump will seek to intervene in voting administered by individual states. Since 2020, he has repeatedly made false claims of widespread election cheating. State election officials and congressional Democrats have been preparing potential legal challenges to any administration attempts to intervene.
