US midterm election results: How Americans voted and what the data tells us

We will update this article throughout the night as more data becomes available, so keep checking back.

In the 2026 midterms, Americans voted on all 435 members of the House of Representatives and 35 members of the Senate. Before election night, Republicans held the majority in both Congress chambers, if only by a hair. In 36 US states, voters also decided on who will become the next governor.

Midterm elections are held every four years, at the exact halfway point between presidential elections. The results will influence US politics for the next few years. Despite the significant executive power delegated to the presidency according to the US Constitution, the majority of federal political decisions have to be approved by Congress before they can be implemented. If the Democrats win the majority in one or both chambers of Congress, it will be harder for President Donald Trump to govern as he chooses.

Because the 50 US states lie across six time zones in total, results will trickle in over time, starting with the US East Coast and going west from there. DW follows the Associated Press (AP) for when a seat is called for Republicans or Democrats.

Polling stations in 5 eastern states closed at 1 a.m. local time. For more updates, go to our US midterms live blog.

In the race for seats in the US Senate, Democrats won the first of 35 contested races in Virginia. In 6 other states, including Massachusetts, Illinois and Georgia, Democrats retained their Senate seats. 

In the House of Representatives, all 435 seats are up for election.

How did Americans vote: a look at demographics and attitudes

The data on voter demographics and attitudes we use is based on a representative survey of more than 75,000 verified voters conducted by survey and market research firm SSRS on behalf of AP and other news organizations. It builds on interviews of both early and mail-in voters as well as exit polls of in-person voters on Election Day, November 3.

Low approval ratings for Trump

While not on the ballot, Trump is still a strong presence in the midterms: The midterms are considered a referendum on how he and his Republicans governed the country for the past two years. Most recently, Trump's approval ratings have fallen to the lowest he has ever had, with just under 30% of Americans saying they think he is doing a good job.

In recent history, only George W. Bush has fared worse, with 25% at the end of his second term. During the 2006 midterm election, Bush's Republican Party lost control of both chambers of Congress.

Exit polls showed that half of voters saw the 2026 midterm elections as an opportunity to rebuke the president. Three-quarters of US voters said they are "angry" or "dissatisfied" with the way the country is headed.

According to the AP Voter Poll, dissatisfaction was very high in Democratic-leaning states such as California and Massachusetts. However, even in Republican-leaning states, a majority of voters were at least "dissatisfied."

Can the Democrats flip Congress?

Before Tuesday's election, Republicans (and independents who caucus with them) held 53 of 100 seats in the Senate and 220 of 435 seats in the House. That means they only held two more seats than the 218 required for a majority. In recent years, such razor-thin majorities have been the lay of the land, especially in the House of Representatives.