Democrats are projected to regain control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, ending Republicans’ narrow majority and delivering a major setback to President Donald Trump halfway through his second term.
The projected takeover would give Democrats the power to block much of Trump’s legislative agenda, oversee his administration and launch congressional investigations, ending two years of unified Republican control in Washington.
NewsNation’s Decision Desk HQ projected Democrats would take the House at 9:11 p.m. ET Tuesday, nearly 50 minutes before MS NOW made its own call. CNN, NBC News and CBS News followed over the next 12 minutes, according to TheWrap’s monitoring of election coverage. As for the Senate flip, NBC News, CNN and NewsNation called in favor of the Democrats taking control just before 11:30 p.m. ET.
Democrats picked up several Republican-held districts early in the night. In western North Carolina, Jamie Ager defeated Republican state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom for the seat previously held by Rep. Chuck Edwards, flipping a district Trump carried by nearly 10 percentage points in 2024.
In New Jersey, Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot, unseated Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. in the state’s competitive 7th Congressional District. Kean had held the seat since defeating Democratic incumbent Tom Malinowski in 2022, but Democrats reclaimed the suburban district four years later.
Democrats also held important ground in Florida despite Republicans’ efforts to redraw congressional boundaries in their favor. Rep. Jared Moskowitz defeated Republican Scott Singer in the newly drawn 25th Congressional District, which Trump carried by roughly nine points in 2024. Moskowitz previously represented the state’s 23rd District before moving to the new seat after redistricting.
The Senate remained a closer contest, although Democrats scored a key pickup in North Carolina, where former Gov. Roy Cooper defeated Republican Michael Whatley. Cooper will succeed retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, giving Democrats a victory in a state Trump carried in three consecutive presidential elections.
Democrats also flipped a Senate seat in South Carolina, where pediatrician Annie Andrews defeated Republican Sen. Darline Graham, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. Andrews’ victory marked the first time a Democrat had won a U.S. Senate race in the state since 1998, delivering a major upset in a state Trump carried by 18 points in 2024.
In Texas, Democrat James Talarico was projected to defeat Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in the race to succeed retiring Sen. John Cornyn, giving Democrats another Republican-held seat. NBC News made the call at 10:55 p.m. ET, followed by CNN and MS NOW. The victory marked the first time Democrats had won a U.S. Senate race in Texas since 1988.
Democrats also held two closely watched Senate seats. In Georgia, Sen. Jon Ossoff defeated Republican Rep. Mike Collins to win a second term, while Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas beat former Republican Sen. John E. Sununu in New Hampshire for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. Pappas became the first openly gay man elected to the U.S. Senate.
Republicans retained Florida’s Senate seat, where Ashley Moody defeated Democrat Angie Nixon. Ohio’s Senate race, where former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown challenged Republican Sen. Jon Husted, remained unresolved.
Democrats also made gains in governor’s races. CNN projected former Ohio health director Amy Acton would defeat Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, flipping the governorship in a state Trump carried by more than 11 points in 2024. In Georgia, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican Rick Jackson, becoming the first Black woman elected governor in U.S. history. Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, meanwhile, won Florida’s governor’s race over Democrat David Jolly, becoming the state’s first Black governor.
Republicans entered Election Day with 53 Senate seats, compared with 45 Democrats and two independents who caucus with the party. With Democrats projected to take the House and picking up Republican-held Senate seats in North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas, control of the upper chamber remained the night’s biggest unanswered question.
