The balance of power in the United States Congress changed significantly during the recent midterm elections. Democrats secured a decisive victory, positioning themselves for what may become one of the largest midterm victories in recent decades. However, the exact final counts for both chambers are not yet determined. Winners have not been declared in two Senate races and more than two dozen House contests.
The unresolved House races include Republican-held districts with extremely narrow margins, several Democratic seats that could switch to Republican control, and numerous contests in California and other Western states where ballots are still being counted. These pending results will define the final makeup of the legislative body for the coming term.
In the Senate, Democrats are expected to enter the next year with at least 54 seats, compared to 44 for the Republicans. Two races remain undecided. One is a long-standing battleground, while the other emerged as a surprise contest. Both campaigns in these states have claimed the upper hand, citing outstanding mail ballots and specific state voting procedures.
The race for the Alaska Senate seat is between Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola. The contest is extremely close due to outstanding ballots and Alaska's ranked-choice voting system. If no candidate receives a majority of first-place votes, the last-place candidate is eliminated, and the counting process continues. Final results in this state are not expected until 15 days after Election Day.
In Mississippi, the contest between Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democrat Scott Colom was not widely predicted to be competitive. State officials report that thousands of mail ballots are still outstanding and can legally arrive within five days of the election. Additionally, an unknown number of affidavit ballots, which require eligibility checks, are pending. Both candidates have predicted they will win the seat.
On the House side, while Democrats flipped dozens of red districts, a few Republican candidates are still attempting to hold their seats. In Maine's 2nd District, Democrat Matt Dunlap conceded to former Governor Paul LePage, but the race will proceed to a ranked-choice tabulation starting November 9 because LePage did not reach the 50 percent threshold. In Florida's 9th District, incumbent Democrat Darren Soto is challenging Republican Dan Green in a district that was shifted to the right during redistricting.
Louisiana's 6th District presents another complex scenario. Once a blue-leaning, majority-Black district, it is now significantly redder after a court ruling found that mapmakers relied too heavily on race. Because no candidate has secured a majority under the state's jungle primary system, the race may proceed to a runoff next month.
Several Republican-held battlegrounds also lack projections. In Colorado's 4th District, Representative Lauren Boebert faces Democrat Eileen Laubacher. In Florida, three separate races remain undecided, involving Representatives Ryan Elijah, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Maria Elvira Salazar. Salazar is facing Democrat Eliott Rodriguez in the 27th District, a race that gained attention after she warned that President Trump's immigration policies could alienate Latino voters.
Other undecided House races span multiple states, including Minnesota, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arizona, and Washington. In North Carolina, long-serving Representative Virginia Foxx faces Democrat Chuck Hubbard in the 5th District. Meanwhile, in South Carolina's 1st District, Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt competes against former Navy admiral Nancy Lacore for the seat previously held by Nancy Mace.
Delays in results are also common in California, where some races involve candidates from the same party or require further ballot counting. In Washington's 4th District, Republican Amanda McKinney and Democrat John Duresky are competing for the seat of retiring Representative Dan Newhouse. In Louisiana's 5th District, a runoff is scheduled for December, with Democrat Patricia Moore facing Republican Gabe Firment for the seat vacated by Senator-elect Julia Letlow.
