On Tuesday, November 3, a record number of Americans went to the polls to vote in the 2026 Midterm Elections.[1] In the lead-up to the day, campaign events took place across the country, with debate issues ranging from the cost of living to immigration. With thirty-three seats in the Senate and all districts of the House of Representatives up for grabs, the question of who would control Congress loomed large for both sides of the aisle. Reports estimate that the cycle racked up the most expensive midterm race in history, with nearly $12 billion spent across the board.[2] In key battleground states like Ohio and Michigan spending spiked even higher. All eyes were also on the Senate seat in Texas, which accounted for more than half a billion dollars in election spending.[3]
Here in Virginia, the ballot consisted of Senate and House seats as well as three proposed constitutional amendments. VA Ballot Measure One would establish a constitutional right to abortion, an issue that sparked conversation within and beyond the Law School.[4] VA Ballot Measure Two proposed the removal of anti-same-sex marriage language from the constitution, and VA Ballot Measure Three would restore felon voting rights upon release.
By the early evening, it was clear that Democrats would likely regain control of the House and Senate with early leads in all key swing states. By the end of the evening, the results were astonishingly blue; Democrats had picked up a minimum of seven Senate seats and forty-two House seats. This marked the first time in twenty years—and tenth instance in history—the sitting President has lost control of both the Senate and House during a midterm election.[5]
In terms of Senate seats, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Kansas, Iowa, and Maine flipped to Democratic control. Notably, James Talarico became the first Democratic Senator of Texas since 1988, winning more early voting ballots than his opponent, Ken Paxton, had in total.[6] Democrat Annie Andrews became one of the biggest upsets of the night, taking South Carolina’s Senate seat from appointee Darline Graham. Meanwhile, Adam Hamilton became Kansas’s first Democratic senator in nearly a century, beating out incumbent Roger Marshall. Even in states that did not end up blue by the end of the night, every Senate race shifted towards the Democrats compared to the 2024 Presidential election.[7]
As for the House races, the Democratic Party gained over forty seats and is holding at least 254 seats at the time of reporting. This represents a decisive change in power and a loud rebuke of the current administration. As for gubernatorial races, Democrats flipped control of at least five offices, including Texas, Nevada, Iowa, Ohio, and Georgia. Highlights included Georgia’s Keisha Lance Bottoms becoming the first black female governor in the nation. Additionally, Gina Hinojosa became the first Latina governor of Texas, solidifying the state’s change to blue. Across the country, diverse candidates also brought the country many new firsts. Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan became the first Muslim Senator in a tight race against Republican Mike Rogers. Minnesota’s Peggy Flanagan became the first Native American woman elected to the Senate. And New Hampshire’s Chris Pappas became the first openly gay man elected to the Senate.
Although the results of the election are bright blue, it still remains to be seen just how wide the margin of victory is for the Democratic Party. Nearly a week after the election, the Senate race in Mississippi is still too close to call. As of Sunday, November 8, Democratic nominee Scott Colom holds the lead by over 2,000 votes and could make him the first Democrat to capture the seat in forty-four years. However, as the votes pour in, the race has yet to be called.[8] Additionally, Alaska’s Senate race remains to be called as absentee ballots are still being counted up to fifteen days after Election Day. As of reporting, Democrat Mary Peltola holds a small lead of 600 votes over the Republican incumbent, Dan S. Sullivan.[9] As these key Senate races, along with ongoing House and Governors’ races, remained to be tallied, the Democrat lead could only gain more momentum.
As for Virginia, Democrat Mark Warner was reelected to the Senate seat, and Democrats gained House seats in Districts One and Two of the Commonwealth.[10] Meanwhile, in Albemarle County, incumbent Republican Representative John J. McGuire III was reelected. As for the proposed constitutional amendments, all three amendments passed with overwhelming support, with AP calling all three amendments by 9 pm. The passing of Amendment 1, the right to abortion in the Constitution, won by a margin of 25%. This victory highlights that Virginians want to continue the Commonwealth’s status as a safe haven in the South for reproductive freedom.
As election night came and went, the overwhelming results were clear: the public had rejected the Trump administration. What remains to be seen is where the country goes from here. While the Democrats celebrate their victory, the question now becomes “how do they deliver on the promises that the campaign was run on?” As the next two years leading up to the Presidential election become increasingly competitive, Democrats must find their identity outside of being the foil to the man in the White House. On the other side of the aisle, Republicans are similarly looking for their way forward without Trump. While they may have the Executive in office for the next two years, the midterms severely dampened their control over the present and future of America. Whichever way the country moves from here, the midterms seem to be only the beginning of a shift in American politics.
[1]An estimated 49.42% turnout rate for the midterm election means it would be the second-highest turnout rate for a midterm since 1914, only lagging slightly behind the 2018 elections. https://michaelmcdonald.substack.com/p/preliminary-2026-turnout-rate.
[2] https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/10/opensecrets-predicts-record-12-billion-in-midterm-election-spending/.
[3] Elon Musk personally donated more than $300 million to back Republican candidate Ken Paxton.
[4] See https://www.lawweekly.org/front-page/2026/9/30/north-grounds-reacts-to-va-abortion-amendment?rq=abortion.
[5] https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2026/11/congressional-chaos-when-both-the-house-and-senate-flip/.
[6] https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/talarico-paxton-texas-trump-early-voting-b3080191.html.
[7] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/2026-elections-blue-wave-charts-data/.
[8] Notably, Mississippi does not have a set procedure for automatic recounting so judges in the state will decide how specific disputes will go. See https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwj0llvqqm72o.
[9] Not to be confused with Independent Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.
[10] https://wtop.com/elections/2026/11/live-results-virginia-midterm-election-2026/.
Author: Kelly Wu ’27, gcu2vn@virginia.edu