Democrats are projected to regain control of both chambers of the United States Congress following a series of major victories in Tuesday's midterm elections, ending Republican control of Capitol Hill and reshaping the balance of power for the remainder of President Donald Trump's second term. ABC News has projected Democratic majorities in both the Senate and House of Representatives, while CBS News has separately projected that Democrats will take control of the Senate. The results follow Republican losses in several traditionally conservative states, including Texas, South Carolina, Kansas and Ohio, alongside Democratic gains in competitive congressional districts across the country.

The Senate contests produced some of the night's most consequential outcomes, with Democrats flipping Republican-held seats in North Carolina, Texas, South Carolina, Ohio and Kansas. Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper defeated Republican Michael Whatley, while Democratic state Rep. James Talarico won the race for Texas' open Senate seat against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. In South Carolina, Democrat Annie Andrews defeated Republican Sen. Darline Graham, who had been appointed to replace her late brother, Lindsey Graham. Former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown also secured a return to Washington by defeating Republican Sen. Jon Husted in Ohio.

Democrat Adam Hamilton delivered another significant victory in Kansas, defeating Republican incumbent Roger Marshall and becoming the first Democrat elected to represent the state in the Senate in 94 years. In Iowa, Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek was projected to defeat Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson in the contest for the seat being vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst. The Iowa result represented a sixth Republican-held Senate seat projected to flip to Democrats, adding to the party's gains as other contests continued to be counted.

Democrats also defended several Senate seats that Republicans had targeted earlier in the election cycle. Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff secured reelection in Georgia against Republican Rep. Mike Collins, while Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas defeated former Republican Sen. John Sununu in New Hampshire, retaining the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. Republicans retained Florida's Senate seat, where incumbent Ashley Moody defeated Democratic challenger Angie Nixon. Additional contests, including Michigan and Alaska, remained closely watched as election officials continued processing ballots.

In the House of Representatives, Democrats were projected to reclaim the majority after winning several Republican-held districts. Democratic candidates defeated Republican incumbents in three Pennsylvania districts, including Scott Perry, Rob Bresnahan and Ryan Mackenzie, while Rebecca Bennett defeated Republican Rep. Tom Kean in New Jersey's 7th Congressional District. Democrats also captured Republican-held open seats in Kentucky's 6th District and North Carolina's 11th District, with Zach Dembo and Jamie Ager winning their respective contests. In Ohio's 15th District, Democrat Don Leonard defeated Republican incumbent Mike Carey, adding another pickup to the Democratic column.

The House results represented a significant change from the narrow Republican majority entering Election Day. Democrats needed a net gain of just three seats to regain control, allowing the party to capitalize on competitive races in suburban and traditionally Republican areas. Although multiple television networks projected a Democratic majority Tuesday night, individual races remained outstanding, particularly in western states where large numbers of mail ballots were still being processed. The Associated Press had not yet independently declared control of the House, which requires a party to reach the 218-seat majority threshold under its race-calling standards.

The Democratic gains extended beyond Congress, with several Republican-held governor's offices also changing parties. In Texas, Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa defeated three-term Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, becoming the first Democrat elected governor of the state since 1990. Ohio voters elected Democrat Amy Acton over Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, ending two decades of Republican control of the governor's office. In Georgia, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican Rick Jackson, becoming the first Black woman elected governor of a U.S. state and returning Georgia's governorship to Democrats after more than two decades of Republican leadership.

Iowa also shifted toward Democrats in its gubernatorial contest, where state Auditor Rob Sand defeated Republican Zach Lahn to capture an office Republicans had controlled for more than two decades. Other states remained with their existing parties, including Florida, where Republican Byron Donalds defeated Democrat David Jolly to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. In Wisconsin, Democrat David Crowley defeated Republican Tom Tiffany to retain the governor's office for Democrats following Gov. Tony Evers' decision not to seek another term.

The election took place amid widespread dissatisfaction with living costs, inflation and the direction of the federal government. According to the Associated Press Voter Poll, economic concerns were prominent among voters, while many expressed dissatisfaction with the Trump administration's handling of national affairs. Republican candidates also faced questions over the administration's military operations involving Iran, which became an issue in several congressional campaigns. The results represent a substantial reversal from the political landscape following Trump's return to the White House in January 2025.

Democratic control of Congress would significantly alter the relationship between the legislative and executive branches beginning in January 2027. A Democratic House majority would give the party control over committee leadership, investigative authority and the legislative agenda, while a Senate majority would provide additional oversight of presidential nominations and executive actions. Republican lawmakers would retain the ability to influence legislation through Senate procedural rules, and the president would continue to hold veto authority.

Despite the projected congressional majorities, vote counting remains underway in several states, and the final composition of both chambers has not yet been established. Election-night projections are based on available returns and assessments by news organizations rather than the formal certification of results by state election authorities. Additional races could produce further changes in the balance of power as outstanding ballots are counted.