2026 midterm elections: democratic party gains US house majority, putting Jeffries in line for speaker
Democrats regain House control
The House was called for Democrats on Tuesday night, giving the party control of the lower chamber of Congress. The outgoing 119th Congress has 218 Republicans, 214 Democrats, one independent and two vacancies.
Democrats needed to gain five seats to take the majority. Republicans had controlled the House since the 2022 midterm elections, during Joe Biden’s presidency.
Every House seat contested
All 435 House seats were on the ballot. Representatives serve two-year terms, compared with six-year terms for senators. The Democratic win ends the Republican Party’s control of both chambers of Congress and the presidency, a political trifecta it held for the past two years.
Jeffries expected to become speaker
Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the Democrats’ House leader, is likely to be selected as speaker. The speaker is the chamber’s top officer. If selected, Jeffries would be the first Black person to hold the role. He would also be third in line for the US presidency if the president and vice president were removed from office, succeeding outgoing Republican Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, who has held the post since 2023.
Trump backlash shaped the race
Democrats had been widely projected to regain the House, amid backlash to President Donald Trump’s second administration. Trump’s approval ratings reached record lows in the weeks before the midterms. The 120th Congress is scheduled to be sworn in on January 3, 2027.
Key points
- Democrats regained control of the US House after Republicans held it since the 2022 midterms.
- All 435 House seats were contested, and Democrats needed five gains to flip the chamber.
- Hakeem Jeffries is likely to become speaker and would be third in line for the presidency.
- The 120th Congress is scheduled to begin on January 3, 2027.