2026 house election: democrats, republicans face majority control battle in midterm races

A narrow majority at stake

Republicans have controlled the House since 2023 and are defending a slim edge. Their 219 seats include one independent who caucuses with the party; Democrats hold 214. Two seats are vacant following the earlier-year resignations of Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, and Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Florida Democrat. Of the 17 toss-up contests identified by CBS News, Republicans hold 13 and Democrats hold four.

Voter concerns and Trump’s role

Affordability is a leading concern, with the Iran war and President Trump’s tariffs contributing to higher everyday costs for Americans. Early exit polls put Trump’s approval rating at 38%, below its level in his first term and below George W. Bush’s rating in 2006.

Roughly six in 10 voters said Trump was a factor in their House vote. Exit-poll reporting said Democrats were especially motivated by opposition to him.

Districts and election history

Under the 2026 boundaries, Trump won 22 districts in 2024 that are now represented by Democrats. Under the previous boundaries, 13 districts were described as ticket-splitting contests; the listed examples include Maine’s 2nd, Michigan’s 8th, Ohio’s 9th, Nevada’s 3rd and New Jersey’s 9th.

The article also lists New Mexico’s 2nd, New York’s 3rd, North Carolina’s 1st, Texas’ 28th and Washington’s 3rd. It separately names California’s 9th, represented by Rep. Josh Harder, and California’s 13th, represented by Rep. Adam Gray. The Michigan 8th District appears twice in the list.

Voting issue in Westchester County

Officials in Westchester County, which includes part of the competitive 17th District, reported ballot-scanner problems Tuesday morning. The New York State Board of Elections attributed the issue to a late programming change in one municipality.

The board said voting continued under emergency ballot procedures and that ballots were being securely held under bipartisan oversight until they could be scanned and counted. On Tuesday afternoon, Lawler said Democrats and Republicans were working together to address the issue.

Midterms often challenge incumbents

Midterm elections are often difficult for the sitting president’s party, in part because the president is not on the ballot to drive turnout and the party must contend with the leader’s approval ratings. The article cites 2002 as a recent exception: after the September 11 attacks, George W. Bush had strong approval, and Republicans gained eight seats. Democrats gained four seats in 1998 under Bill Clinton while Republicans kept control, and added nine seats in 1934 during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency.