US Midterms 2026: Democrats projected to win control of the House as Donald Trump braces for ‘really bad night’

The US House is projected to flip to a Democratic majority from the Republicans as Donald Trump braces for a "really bad night".

White House insiders have told the President to prepare for poor results, despite a series of rallies held across the US to drum up support.

Democrats taking the majority of the 435-seat House of Representatives will make it significantly harder for the President to pass his policy through Congress.

All eyes now turn to the Senate, which, before tonight, was held 53-47 by the right-wing party.

Two states have flipped to the Democrats: North Carolina's former Governor Roy Cooper took his state's Senate seat, and, in a shock result, Democrat Annie Andrews turned South Carolina from the Republicans.

Midterms are seen as a referendum on the current President, and, in Mr Trump's own words, "the sitting president doesn't win the midterms".

Key Senate races in Michigan, Texas, and Ohio could decide how the President spends his next two years in office.

FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY…

Donald Trump is 'defiant' but slams Republican candidates

A White House spokesman said Donald Trump's mood is "defiant" despite shocking Democratic victories.

He said: "President Trump was not on the ballot, and it's proven that Trump voters show up when he is on the ballot.

"Also, candidate quality matters, and President Trump did a better job promoting many of the candidates on the ballot than the candidates did themselves.

"Also, anyone who voted Democrat today is going to have a serious case of buyers remorse when gas prices come down quickly when the Iran conflict is solved but they’re still stuck with list of liberal extremist Democrats

"And a final note here: regardless of how today plays out, President Trump’s resolve to stop the Radical Left is only going to become stronger. Buckle up."

BREAKING: Democrat Annie Andrews flips South Carolina seat

Democrat Annie Andrews has flipped the Republican-held South Carolina seat.

The incumbent Republican, Darline Graham, is the sister of the late Lindsey Graham.

She was appointed after his death earlier this year by Donald Trump and was not originally expected to contest the seat in the midterm election.

Being the relative or wife of a deceased Senator has been a common practice in the US Congress, and is how Republican Louisiana Senate candidate Julia Letlow first gained a seat in the House.

South Carolina was not one of the expected battleground seats - and was projected to lean Republican - but its flip may be an early sign of what is to come.

As it stands: Democrats lead Senate elections 45-36

Democrats currently lead the Senate race 45-36, with one recorded flip in North Carolina.

Jon Ossoff retained Georgia, which was once a key battleground state, but after the victory of Keisha Lance Bottoms, it may lose that contested status.

And Chris Pappas became the first openly-gay Senator by retaining New Hampshire, which Republicans had hoped to win.

Several key Senate races in Michigan, Texas, Ohio, and Alaska, have yet to be called.

Several Democratic Socialists take House seats

The far-left faction of the Democratic Party, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), has won several House seats, largely centred in New York.

Their candidates include Darializa Avila Chevalier (pictured), who attended a controversial pro-Palestinian rally in Times Square on October 8, 2023, just one day after Hamas attacked Israel, which featured speeches and rhetoric praising the attack.

Brad Lander, a self-described "liberal Zionist", formally left the far-left bloc after it promoted the pro-Palestinian rally, but was endorsed by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and has continued to campaign with the group.

Claire Valdez, another DSA candidate, won her seat in Queens and Brooklyn, and in Colorado, Melat Kiros won her seat in Denver, a city where the majority of voters identify as socialist.

BREAKING: Democratic Keisha Lance Bottoms wins Georgia Governor

Democratic Keisha Lance Bottoms has won the Georgia governorship over Republican Rick Jackson.

This makes her the first Black female Governor in American history, having served as the mayor of Atlanta and also in Joe Biden's administration.

Mr Jackson, a billionaire healthcare executive, was endorsed by Donald Trump and, at times, sought to present himself as "like Trump, but with a southern tone".

Georgia, once a key battleground state, now has a Democratic governor and two Democratic Senators.

More Senate seats called

More Senate seats have been called across the US.

States now called include New Mexico, where incumbent Democrat Ben Ray Lujan is projected to win, Colorado, where veteran politician John Hickenlooper is projected to keep his seat, and in Illinois, where Juliana Stratton, the state's Lieutenant Governor, is projected to prevail.

West Virginia, meanwhile, has re-elected incumbent Republican Shelley Moore Capito, and Harriet Hageman is projected to take Wyoming.

Roy Cooper tells supporters 'chaos and corruption' in DC has to stop

Roy Cooper, the first Senate flip of the night, has told supporters in North Carolina voters made their "voices heard and they were loud".

He said: "For too many people in North Carolina, the middle class was feeling like a distant dream."

Mr Cooper, the state's former Governor, said the "chaos and corruption in Washington" was "hurting our people".

He added: "Today you said this has to stop.

"As your new United States Senator, I am ready to take that message to Washington and work to do something about it."

CATCH-UP: What Governor races have been called?

While GB News has focused on several key Senate seats, several incumbent Democratic Governors have been called.

Josh Shapiro, seen by some as a 2028 Presidential candidate, has retained his Governorship of Pennsylvania.

In Illinois, incumbent JB Pritzker, the billionaire heir of the Hyatt hotel group, has kept his seat.

And in Maryland, young incumbent Wes Moore has maintained his seat, while Maura Healey has kept her control of Massachusetts.

President Donald Trump insists there are 'no immediate plans' to strike Iran

President Donald Trump has said the United States has no immediate plans to strike Iran.

In an interview with the Financial Times, as polls began to close across the country for the crucial midterms, President Trump suggested he was content with the state of the standoff with Iran.

According to exit polls conducted by SSRS on behalf of a consortium of US media outlets, including major television networks and the Associated Press, half of voters said they saw the 2026 midterm elections as an opportunity to rebuke the president,

Three-quarters said they are "angry" or "dissatisfied" with the way the country is headed, while 70 per cent of voters surveyed said they want Congress to provide more checks and balances on the president.

Led by President Trump, Republicans have portrayed Democratic candidates as radical, un-American and even communist, labels Democrats flatly reject.

READ MORE HERE

JUST IN: Republicans hold Florida as Ashley Moody wins

Republican Ashley Moody is projected to hold Florida for the Republicans over Democratic candidate Angie Nixon.

BREAKING: Democrat Chris Pappas to become first openly-gay Senator

In New Hampshire, Chris Pappas is projected to become the first openly-gay Senator, holding a crucial seat for the Democratic party.

In his victory speech, he says tonight's results will be a "wake-up call".

He defeated New Hampshire representative John E Sununu.

BREAKING: Democrat Roy Cooper wins North Carolina

Democrat Roy Cooper is projected to have won North Carolina, one of the key battleground states.

Mr Cooper served as the state's Governor from 2017 to 2025.

He defeated Republican Michael Whatley and now flips the seat as Donald Trump's hold on Congress narrows.

A closer look at Michigan

Michigan has also become one of the most tightly watched states, with Democratic candidate Dr Abdul El-Sayed, who has been baselessly accused of being a "jihadist" by Donald Trump.

Dr El-Sayed, like Zohran Mamdani, represents an emerging faction of the Democratic party - the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) - which some fear could take over if successful in November.

The young Democrat fought a heated contest against Representative Haley Stevens, who he accused of receiving millions from the Jewish lobby group Aipac.

In a shocking October surprise, Ms Stevens endorsed Republican candidate Mike Rogers just days before the midterms, claiming that Dr El-Sayed's presence in the Senate would be actively dangerous for Jewish Americans, citing an ad created by Hasan Piker's uncle Cenk Uygur.

Mr Rogers, a former FBI agent seeks support from a coalition of independent, Jewish, and black voters who may not support Dr El-Sayed’s far-left policies.

The Detroit-native spent 14 years in the House, and was seen as a bipartisan operator, voting against his own party to support an automotive industry bailout and working extensively in the Chamber's Intelligence Committee, leading an investigation into the 2012 Benghazi attack.

Polls close in 20 more states

Polls have closed in 20 more states, including the key battlegrounds of Kansas, Texas, Michigan, and Maine

In Maine, longtime Republican Senator Susan Collins is being challenged by Troy Jackson, a late replacement for Democratic Socialist of America-backed (DSA) oyster farmer Graham Platner, who was forced to dropout after a series of allegations of sexual misconduct.

In Michigan, DSA-linked Abdul El-Sayed is challenging Mike Rogers, a race which may be shaken by Democrat Haley Stevens' late endorsement.

And in Kansas, Democratic pastor Adam Hamilton is against Roger Marshall, another race which Donald Trump won comfortably but is now surprisingly competitive.

California will vote to implement a billionaire tax

While much of the attention will be focused on the US Senate, there are a whole host of ballot measures - similar to the UK's referendums - that will be voted on in the elections.

Residents of California are voting on Proposition 40, which, if successful, would implement a one-time five per cent tax on the accumulated wealth of the state's billionaires.

Supporters of the tax say it would raise $100billion, 90 per cent of which would go towards the healthcare system, and 10 per cent of which would go to food assistance and public education.

The measure has been backed by SEIU United Healthcare Workers West and by Vermont Senator and noted Democratic Socialist Bernie Sanders.

But there is opposition from within Democratic ranks, including from current Governor Gavin Newsom, and organisations Planned Parenthood and the California Teachers Association, with concerns on how the tax revenue would be spent.

US Networks project Democrat incumbent Jon Ossoff has won

US networks have projected that Democratic incumbent Senator Jon Ossoff has won re-election.

Mr Ossoff triumphed in one of the nation's most competitive Senate races, demonstrating that Democrats can maintain key battleground seats.

The senior US Senator has been talked up as an early 2028 Presidential candidate, and raised $126 million more than US Representative Mike Collins, who was endorsed by Mr Trump.

A closer look at the Texas Senate race

GB News is on the ground in Dallas, Texas, for what might be the closely watched Senate race in the country.

The traditional Republican heartland has unusually become one of the most contested and important races this year.

The state’s more than-20 year incumbent, John Cornyn, was booted out of the seat by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a primary thanks to the endorsement of Mr Trump.

Its Democratic challenger is James Talarico, a seminarian and educator who rose to viral success after he challenged a Bill which requires the 10 Commandments to be displayed in classrooms in the Texas State Congress

Republicans, including Donald Trump, have dubbed the Democratic candidate "James Talafreako".

In 2021, the young seminarian said "God is non-binary", and has been accused of promoting trans issues.

Ted Cruz, the current junior Senator from Texas, in a last-minute appeal, said: "[Talarico] is a man who said 'God is nonbinary.' Who said there are six biological sexes. Who called capitalism an oppressive system he wants to dismantle.

"And who says we should look to Western Europe for inspiration. Take a look at Paris."

Mr Paxton, meanwhile, has been under criminal investigation for the majority of his political career, but has been praised by Mr Trump as one of his closest allies.

He was both praised and mocked by Mr Trump in the Republican Party’s first-ever midterm convention. "He may not be the best-looking guy I've ever seen," Mr Trump said. "But you know what, he is - he's the greatest Attorney General in America."

The first results - what do we know?

Votes in Kentucky, Virginia, Georgia, Indiana, Florida, and New Hampshire are currently being tabulated.

Unlike the UK electoral system, where all votes are counted and kept secret until the results are confirmed, in the US, votes are published long before the result is announced.

Some 20 per cent of votes have been counted in Georgia, with around 72 per cent returning for Jon Ossoff, the senior US Senator in the state who has been talked up as an early Presidential 2028 candidate.

Over half of the votes have been counted in Florida, and - so far - the race seems to be a dead heat, despite the state being considered a likely Republican seat according to the Cook Political Report.

Midterm election timeline - when will we know the results?

Results are already being counted in Eastern states, including Kentucky, Virginia, Indiana, and Florida.

But pundits will not gain a larger picture of the scene until results in key swing races are in at around 1am.

US outlets may "call" states before the majority of results come in based on electoral projections.

In tightly contested races, however, it might take several days for a result to be confirmed.

In 2022, ballots were still being counted on November 9, a day after the midterms, with the full picture in the House not emerging until a week later.

President Trump says United States has 'no immediate plans' to strike Iran

The United States has no immediate plans to strike Iran, President Donald Trump told the Financial Times.

In an interview with the FT on Tuesday, Trump suggested he was content with the state of the stand-off with Iran.

“We seem to be getting everything we want,” Trump said in the six-minute telephone interview.