US Midterm Election Seat Flips Statistics 2026 show Democrats flipping 7 Republican-held Senate seats, at least 29 House seats (Decision Desk HQ counted 31) and 4 governorships, according to NBC News and Associated Press projections as of November 4, 2026. Democrats also flipped 3 state legislative chambers and declared a 4th, and counts are still changing.
US Midterm Election Seat Flips Statistics 2026 – Introduction
The US Midterm Election Seat Flips Statistics 2026 explain how Democrats turned a thin House deficit into control of both chambers. Republicans held the House 218–214 before November 3, 2026. Democrats needed a net gain of 3 seats, according to NBC and Newsweek, and won far more. They also flipped 7 Senate seats and 4 governorships. Not since 2006 has the minority party flipped both chambers on a single night, according to NBC.
This report counts the flips by office and by state. It covers the House, the Senate, governors and state legislatures, then compares the totals with past midterms. All figures are projections and unofficial tallies as of November 4, 2026. Outlets report different House counts because each updates at its own time, and dozens of races were still uncalled. Treat every flip count below as a floor that may rise.
Interesting Facts: US Midterm Election Seat Flips Statistics 2026
Seats flipped by Democrats in 2026 (each █ = 1 seat)
Senate seats |███████ 7
Governorships |████ 4
State chambers |████ 4 (3 called, 1 declared)
House seats |███████████████████████████████ 31 (DDHQ count)
| Metric | 2026 Figure |
|---|---|
| House seats flipped (NBC, at 231 called) | 29 (+29 net) |
| House seats flipped (Decision Desk HQ) | 31, some races too close to call |
| NBC estimate of final House seats | Democrats 258, Republicans 177 |
| Republican Senate seats flipped | 7 |
| Senate seats won so far | Democrats 54, Republicans 42, 4 uncalled |
| Governorships flipped | 4 (Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, Texas) |
| State legislative chambers flipped | 3 called, 1 declared |
| House before the vote | Republicans 218, Democrats 214, 1 independent, 2 vacancies |
Source: NBC News Decision Desk; Decision Desk HQ via The 19th; Associated Press projections via CNBC and TIME; Forbes; Stateline.
Democrats gained in every office on the ballot. NBC counted 29 House flips at 231 called seats, while Decision Desk HQ counted 31 flips with some races too close to call. NBC estimated Democrats will finish with at least 258 House seats. The Senate count reached 54–42 with 4 races open. Four governorships changed hands, and three state chambers flipped.
The scale stands out against the starting math. Democrats needed a net gain of only 3 House seats, 4 Senate seats and 2 governorships to win each. Reuters had put the House need at 4 before the vote, so sources differ on the exact bar. The US Midterm Election Seat Flips Statistics 2026 show a margin well beyond any of those thresholds.
House Seat Flips 2026: How Many Seats Democrats Flipped
House seat flips, by outlet count (each █ = 1 seat)
NBC (at 231 called) |█████████████████████████████ 29
DDHQ |███████████████████████████████ 31
| Metric | 2026 Figure |
|---|---|
| House seats before the vote | Republicans 218, Democrats 214 |
| Seats needed for majority | 218 |
| Net Democratic gain needed | 3 (NBC, Newsweek) |
| Democratic seats called (NBC) | 231, with 60 uncalled |
| Republican seats called (NBC) | 144 |
| Flips counted (NBC) | 29 |
| Flips counted (Decision Desk HQ) | 31 |
| NBC estimate of final seats | Democrats 258, Republicans 177 |
Source: NBC News Decision Desk; Decision Desk HQ via The 19th; Newsweek; Associated Press.
NBC’s tally showed Democrats at 231 seats and Republicans at 144, with 60 races uncalled. That count included 29 flips and a net gain of 29, which means no Republican pickups among the called races. Decision Desk HQ counted 31 flips, also with races too close to call. Counts differ because outlets call races at different times. NPR said the number would likely grow.
NBC’s Decision Desk estimates Democrats will win at least 258 seats to 177 for Republicans. That would be Democrats’ largest House majority in nearly two decades, according to NBC. Newsweek noted that since 1946, the president’s party has lost House seats in 18 of 20 midterms, shedding about 26 seats on average. The US Midterm Election Seat Flips Statistics 2026 beat that average.
House Seat Flips by State 2026: Where Republican Seats Changed Hands
States with named House flips (each █ = 1 state)
Texas, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin, North Carolina,
Colorado, New Jersey, Ohio, Kentucky, Nebraska, Iowa |███████████ 11
| State | Named Flips | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 4 Republican incumbents lost | Bob Brooks beat Ryan Mackenzie; Paige Cognetti beat Rob Bresnahan |
| Wisconsin | 2 | Mitchell Berman beat Derrick Van Orden |
| Virginia | 2 | Elaine Luria beat Jen Kiggans; Shannon Taylor beat Rob Wittman |
| Texas | 1+ | Bobby Pulido beat Monica De La Cruz |
| North Carolina | 2 | Jamie Ager won NC-11; Richard Ojeda II beat Richard Hudson |
| Colorado | 1 | Manny Rutinel beat Gabe Evans |
| New Jersey | 1 | Rebecca Bennett beat Tom Kean Jr. |
| Ohio | 1+ | Brian Poindexter beat Max Miller |
| Kentucky and Nebraska | 1 each | Kentucky’s 6th District; Denise Powell in Nebraska’s 2nd |
Source: Associated Press projections via CNBC; CBS News; NBC News; Newsweek; Decision Desk HQ via NewsNation.
Democrats flipped seats in at least 11 states. Pennsylvania produced the most, with a quartet of Republican incumbents defeated, according to NBC. Wisconsin gave Democrats 2 flips, including Mitchell Berman’s win over Rep. Derrick Van Orden. In Virginia, Elaine Luria won back the seat she lost to Jen Kiggans in 2022, and Shannon Taylor upset Rep. Rob Wittman, 50.9% to 48.9% in Newsweek’s count.
North Carolina gave Democrats two prizes. Jamie Ager won NC-11 in a district Trump carried by more than 9 points in 2024. Richard Ojeda II defeated Rep. Richard Hudson, who chaired the House Republican campaign arm. In Texas, Bobby Pulido led Monica De La Cruz 61.6% to 38.4% with 88% counted. The US Midterm Election Seat Flips Statistics 2026 list will grow as the last districts report.
Senate Seat Flips 2026: Democrats Flip 7 Republican-Held Seats
Senate seats before and after (each █ = 2 seats)
Democrats before |███████████████████████▌ 47
Democrats after |███████████████████████████ 54
Republicans before |██████████████████████████▌ 53
Republicans (called) |█████████████████████ 42
| State | Winner | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | James Talarico (D) | Beat Ken Paxton; Republican seat since 1988 |
| North Carolina | Roy Cooper (D) | Beat Michael Whatley; seat held by retiring Thom Tillis |
| Maine | Troy Jackson (D) | Beat Susan Collins, 52.4% to 47.5% in NBC’s count |
| Ohio | Sherrod Brown (D) | Beat appointed Sen. Jon Husted |
| South Carolina | Annie Andrews (D) | Beat appointed Sen. Darline Graham |
| Iowa | Democratic nominee | Beat Rep. Ashley Hinson for Joni Ernst’s open seat |
| Kansas | Adam Hamilton (D) | Beat Sen. Roger Marshall |
Source: Associated Press projections via CNBC, TIME and Axios; Forbes (November 4, 2026); Fortune.
Democrats flipped 7 Republican-held Senate seats. They needed 4. The Senate count stood at 54 Democrats and 42 Republicans in called races, with 4 uncalled, according to Forbes. Republicans entered at 53–47. Democrats also held every seat they defended, including Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire and Minnesota. Roy Cooper’s win in North Carolina and Troy Jackson’s in Maine were among the most closely watched.
The flips reached deep-red states. Adam Hamilton became the first Kansas Democrat elected to the Senate in nearly a century. James Talarico won a Texas seat Democrats had not held since 1988. Annie Andrews took a South Carolina seat Republicans had held since 1964, according to CNN as cited by Fortune. Trump handpicked several of the losing nominees, according to NBC. The US Midterm Election Seat Flips Statistics 2026 for the Senate include no Republican pickups.
Governor Seat Flips 2026: Democrats Flip 4 Governorships
Governorships flipped in 2026 (each █ = 1 governorship)
Democrats |████ 4
Republicans | 0 reported
| State | Winner | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | Gina Hinojosa (D) | Beat Gov. Greg Abbott; first Democratic governor since 1990 |
| Georgia | Keisha Lance Bottoms (D), 54.2% | Open seat; first Black woman elected governor in the U.S. |
| Iowa | Rob Sand (D), 55.5% | Open seat; first Democratic Iowa governor in 20 years |
| Ohio | Amy Acton (D), 52% | Open seat; beat Vivek Ramaswamy, 44.7% |
| Nevada | Not called | Joe Lombardo (R) against Aaron Ford (D) |
Source: NBC News; Associated Press via KPTV; Washington Post; The Hill.
Democrats flipped 4 governorships and clinched a majority of governors for the first time in 16 years, according to NBC. Texas was the most surprising. Gina Hinojosa defeated Gov. Greg Abbott and ended Republican control of the governor’s office that dated to 1995. Georgia, Iowa and Ohio were open seats. The Associated Press said 19 of 36 governor races had no incumbent.
Republicans held Florida and Nebraska, and Democrats held Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona and Maine. Nevada’s race had not been called in the sources reviewed. Republicans entered with a 26–24 edge in governorships, so the 4 flips changed the national balance. The US Midterm Election Seat Flips Statistics 2026 for governors also end Republican trifectas in Georgia, Iowa, Ohio and Texas if those legislatures stayed Republican.
State Legislative Chamber Flips 2026: Democrats Flip 3 Chambers and Declare a 4th
State legislative chambers flipped by Democrats (each █ = 1 chamber)
NC House |█
Wisconsin Senate |█
Wisconsin Assembly |█
Pennsylvania Senate |█ (declared)
| Chamber | Before the Vote | After the Vote (Unofficial) |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina House | Republicans 71, Democrats 49 | Democrats 70 of 120 |
| Wisconsin Senate | Republicans 18, Democrats 15 | Democrats 18, Republicans 15 |
| Wisconsin Assembly | Republicans 54, Democrats 45 | Democrats 53, Republicans 46 |
| Pennsylvania Senate | Republicans 27, Democrats 23 | Democrats declared control |
| Florida Legislature | Republican supermajority | Supermajority broken |
Source: Associated Press via Wisconsin Public Radio; North Carolina State Board of Elections (unofficial); Spotlight PA; Stateline.
Democrats flipped the North Carolina House, the Wisconsin Senate and the Wisconsin Assembly, and declared a win in the Pennsylvania Senate. North Carolina Democrats won 70 of 120 House seats, their first chamber since 2010. Wisconsin Democrats flipped 3 Senate seats and 8 Assembly seats. Democrats also broke the Republican supermajority in Florida, according to Stateline.
Republicans entered with 28 legislatures to 18 for Democrats, with 3 divided, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Michigan, Arizona, Minnesota and New Hampshire had not reported in the sources reviewed. Pennsylvania Democrats said the Senate win gave them a trifecta with Gov. Josh Shapiro. The US Midterm Election Seat Flips Statistics 2026 at the state level also show no reported Republican chamber flips.
Redistricting and Seat Flips 2026: Seats Democrats Won in Redrawn Districts
Florida seats Republicans redrew to flip (each █ = 1 seat)
Targeted by redraw |████ up to 4
Democrats held |███ 3 (Castor, Moskowitz, Dandiya)
| Metric | 2026 Figure |
|---|---|
| Florida seats the redraw aimed to add for Republicans | Up to 4 |
| Florida Democrats who held redrawn seats | 3 (Kathy Castor, Jared Moskowitz, Pia Dandiya) |
| Florida districts redrawn for Republicans that Democrats won (TIME) | 2 |
| Republican-held seats in Harris-won districts after redistricting | 8 |
| Democratic-held seats in Trump-won districts after redistricting | 21 |
Source: NBC News; TIME; NPR; Newsweek.
Republicans redrew maps in several states to shrink Democratic seats. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican legislature redrew districts to pick up as many as 4 House seats. Democrats held Kathy Castor’s, Jared Moskowitz’s and Pia Dandiya’s seats. TIME reported Democrats won in 2 Florida districts redrawn in Republicans’ favor. NPR said Republicans lost several seats they redrew.
The map left Republicans exposed. After redistricting, just 8 Republicans represented districts Kamala Harris won in 2024, while 21 Democrats sat in districts Trump won, according to NBC. That made more Democratic seats vulnerable than Republican ones. Democrats still gained. The US Midterm Election Seat Flips Statistics 2026 show the redraws did not stop the wave.
Historical Seat Flips 2026: How the Wave Compares With Past Midterms
House seat change in recent midterms (each █ = 2 seats)
2018 Democrats |████████████████████ +40
2022 Republicans |████▌ +9
2026 Democrats |███████████████ +29 to +31
| Midterm Year | House Net Change | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Democrats +40 | Democrats won the House; lost 2 Senate seats |
| 2022 | Republicans +9 | Republicans won a narrow House majority |
| 2026 | Democrats +29 to +31 (so far) | Democrats won both chambers |
| Average since 1946 | President’s party loses about 26 seats | 18 of 20 midterms |
Source: Associated Press; Newsweek; NBC News; Decision Desk HQ; Ballotpedia.
The 2026 House gain is already near the post-war average loss for the president’s party. Since 1946, the president’s party has lost House seats in 18 of 20 midterms, shedding about 26 on average. Democrats gained 40 in 2018 and Republicans gained 9 in 2022. The 2026 count of 29 to 31 flips could grow, since 60 races were uncalled in NBC’s tally.
Control of both chambers changed in the same election only three times since World War II before 2026: 1946, 1994 and 2006, according to PBS and Fortune. NBC said not since 2006 has the minority party flipped both chambers in one night. Democrats also flipped 7 Senate seats and 4 governorships. The US Midterm Election Seat Flips Statistics 2026 are among the widest swings in a generation.
When Will 2026 Seat Flip Counts Be Final? Status and Certification
Race status as of November 4, 2026 (each █ = 5 races)
House uncalled (NBC) |████████████ 60
Senate uncalled |▌ 4
Governor uncalled |▌ 1 (Nevada)
| Item | Status as of November 4, 2026 |
|---|---|
| House races uncalled (NBC) | 60 |
| Senate races uncalled | 4 (Forbes) |
| Governor race uncalled | Nevada |
| State chambers pending | Michigan, Arizona, Minnesota, New Hampshire |
| Certification | Within weeks; deadlines vary by state |
| New Congress convenes | January 2027 |
Source: NBC News; Forbes; Stateline; state election offices (.gov).
The flip counts will change. NBC showed 60 House races uncalled when it reported 29 flips, and Decision Desk HQ counted 31 flips with some races too close to call. Four Senate races and Nevada’s governor race were open. Several legislative chambers had not reported. Late mail ballots and close margins can change outcomes in tight districts.
A race call is not certification. State and county officials finish counting and canvassing, then certify results on their own deadlines. Recounts can follow in close races. The new Congress convenes in January 2027. Treat the US Midterm Election Seat Flips Statistics 2026 as preliminary until certified, and check the Associated Press for current calls.
US Midterm Election Seat Flips Statistics 2026: Frequently Asked Questions
How many House seats did Democrats flip in 2026?
NBC counted 29 flips at 231 called seats, and Decision Desk HQ counted 31 flips. Dozens of races were uncalled, so the total may rise. NBC estimates Democrats will finish with at least 258 seats.
How many Senate seats did Democrats flip in 2026?
Democrats flipped 7 Republican-held Senate seats: Texas, North Carolina, Maine, Ohio, South Carolina, Iowa and Kansas. The count stood at 54 Democrats and 42 Republicans with 4 races uncalled.
Which governorships did Democrats flip in 2026?
Democrats flipped 4: Georgia, Iowa, Ohio and Texas. Nevada’s governor race had not been called in the sources reviewed.
Did Republicans flip any seats in 2026?
None were reported among called Senate seats or governorships. NBC’s House net gain of 29 equaled its 29 flips at publication. Counts may change as races are called.
Which states had the most House flips in 2026?
Pennsylvania had a quartet of Republican incumbents lose, according to NBC. Wisconsin, Virginia and North Carolina each had 2 named flips.
How many state legislative chambers flipped in 2026?
Democrats flipped the North Carolina House, the Wisconsin Senate and the Wisconsin Assembly, and declared a win in the Pennsylvania Senate.
How many seats did Democrats need to win the House in 2026?
NBC and Newsweek said a net gain of 3 seats was enough. Reuters had put the need at 4 before the vote. The majority line is 218 seats.
Was 2026 a bigger wave than 2018?
Democrats gained 40 House seats in 2018. The 2026 count was 29 to 31 flips with many races uncalled, though Democrats also flipped 7 Senate seats and won both chambers.
Did redistricting help Republicans in 2026?
Republicans redrew maps in states such as Florida to pick up seats. Democrats held 3 key Florida seats, and NPR said Republicans lost several seats they redrew.
When will the final seat flip counts be known?
Final counts take weeks. States certify on their own schedules, and the new Congress convenes in January 2027.
Where can I see live seat flip counts?
The Associated Press, NBC News and Decision Desk HQ publish live race calls and seat counts. State election offices post official totals.
Disclaimer: The data research report we present here is based on information found from various sources. We are not liable for any financial loss, errors, or damages of any kind that may result from the use of the information herein. We acknowledge that though we try to report accurately, we cannot verify the absolute facts of everything that has been represented.
