What are the US midterm elections and why do they matter?
Summary
The 3 November 2026 midterm elections will decide control of Congress and choose governors and other state and local officials. Republicans are defending narrow House and larger Senate majorities, while Democrats hope to gain seats; the results will shape legislation and oversight during the final two years of Donald Trump’s second term.Key Facts
- All 435 voting seats in the House of Representatives are up for election, and Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control.
- Thirty-five Senate seats are up for election, including two special elections; Republicans hold 53 seats, while Democrats and independents who caucus with them hold 47.
- Democrats need to gain four Senate seats to secure a majority.
- Voters will choose governors in 36 states and three U.S. territories, as well as thousands of state legislators and local officials.
- The president’s party has lost House seats in 18 of the past 20 midterm elections since 1946.
- A RealClearPolitics average of national generic polls showed Democrats leading Republicans by 8.2 percentage points in early October.
- About 40 to 50 House races are considered truly competitive, according to an estimate cited from Reuters.
- The article identifies Michigan and Georgia as Senate battlegrounds, naming Abdul El-Sayed and Jon Ossoff as Democratic candidates and Mike Collins as a Republican challenger.
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