NYT: The Democratic Party's Chances Of Winning A Majority In The Senate And The House Of Representatives Are More Than 95%
- 4.11.2026, 7:13
The Democrats took Senate seats from the Republicans in North and South Carolina.
In the U.S. midterm congressional elections, the Democrats won Senate seats in North and South Carolina from the Republicans. In addition, according to projections, they are regaining a majority in the House of Representatives.
This is reported by AP, CNN, NBC News, CBS News, and CNBC.
Republicans currently hold 53 seats in the Senate, compared to 47. To secure a majority, Democrats need to gain four seats outright and not lose any of their own. They are already halfway there.
As of now, The New York Times estimates the Democratic Party’s chances of securing a majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives at more than 95%.
In North Carolina, former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper defeated Republican Michael Watley, who was backed by Trump. Cooper will take the seat of Republican Tom Tillis, who did not run for re-election. Democrats had not won a Senate election in this state since 2008.
An even more resounding victory came in South Carolina, where Trump won by a margin of nearly 18 points in 2024. Democrat Annie Andrews defeated Republican Darlene Graham, who had been serving as a temporary replacement for the late Lindsey Graham. Andrews will become the first woman elected to the Senate from this state. The last time a Democrat won a Senate election here was in 1998.
The Democrats are holding on to their seats for now. CNN has declared Senator John Ossoff the winner in Georgia—a state Trump also won in 2024—while the AP has declared a Democratic victory in New Hampshire.
Seven key states will determine the rest of the race for a majority: Iowa, Alaska, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, and Texas. According to estimates by CNBC and NBC, the races in Texas, Ohio, and Kansas are leaning toward the Democrats. Preliminary results from four states are as follows:
Texas (about 53% counted): Democrat James Talarico - 59.4%, Republican Ken Paxton - 39.1%;
Ohio (about 62%): Democrat Sherrod Brown - 49%, Republican John Hasted - 46.4%;
Michigan (about 18%): Democrat Abdul El-Sayed - 55.1%, Republican Mike Rogers - 43.3%;
Maine (about 10%): Democrat Troy Jackson - 50.2%, Republican Susan Collins - 49.7%.
The winners in these states have not yet been announced. For the Democrats, Michigan remains the main threat, where they are defending their seat.
House of Representatives
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for re-election; 218 are needed for a majority. The Republicans hold a slim lead, so the Democrats need to net just three seats. According to CNBC’s projection, they will win a majority in the lower chamber.
According to CNN, the Democrats have taken at least five districts from the Republicans. Among them are North Carolina’s 11th district, where Trump won by a 10-point margin in 2024, and Kentucky’s 6th district, where his lead was 15 points. In addition, Democrats held on to three districts in Florida, whose boundaries the Republicans had redrawn in an attempt to take them over.
If the projections hold true, Republicans will lose control of both chambers of Congress.
Governors
In the gubernatorial elections, the Democrats are, as expected, holding onto their states so far. CNN, in particular, has declared Josh Shapiro the winner in Pennsylvania—a state Trump won in 2024— and J.B. Pritzker in Illinois, who became the first Democrat to be elected governor of the state for a third term.
All data provided are media projections and preliminary results. States will certify the final results later, and the vote count is still ongoing in several key races. In Alaska, Iowa, and Kansas, there are few or no results available yet.