Photo via CBS News

Democrats prepare to take Congress after sweeping wins

Read the original at CBS News ↗
Cite

Linton, C., Yilek, C., Hubbard, K., Watson, K., Walsh, J., Quinn, M., & Becket, S. (2026, November 5). Democrats prepare to take Congress after sweeping wins. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/midterm-election-results-2026-democrats-house-senate-trump/

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

CBS News · collected 2026-11-05 · by Caroline Linton, Caitlin Yilek, Kaia Hubbard, Kathryn Watson, Joe Walsh, Melissa Quinn, Stefan Becket

Quick Summary

In the 2026 midterm elections, Democrats secured significant victories, winning at least 54 Senate seats and projecting a majority in the House with between 251 to 268 seats. Key races in Alaska and Mississippi remain undecided. Republicans have started their preparations for being in the minority in both chambers, with President Trump questioning his party's loss. Democrats plan to use their new power to oversee the administration closely, while some elected officials express reservations about pursuing aggressive oversight measures.
Written by AI on 2026-11-05, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

In the 2026 U.S. midterm elections held on November 3, Democrats won control of both the House and Senate, marking a significant shift after years of Republican dominance. Despite President Donald Trump's unpopularity, Republicans had hoped to maintain their majority in Congress. However, factors such as Trump’s unconstitutional actions, notably his unilateral declaration of war against Iran, contributed to voter backlash. The election saw Democrats winning in traditionally red states like Texas and South Carolina, leading many analysts to describe it as a "Blue Tsunami." Post-election, there was internal blame-sharing within the Trump administration, with some insiders suggesting that certain cabinet members might face consequences for their roles during the midterm defeats.

Written for “Midterm Elections Results” on 2026-11-05, grounded in this article and the 754 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted verbatim and was checked against the article text before being stored, so you can find it in the original.
Reading Leans left (beta estimate) Confidence high 1 quote(s) discarded as not found in the article
Leaning: leans left for article 131342 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-11-05

Story

📰 Midterm Elections Results
Politics · 755 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads leans left and hedges 10% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
November 4, 2026 Same event
Letters from an American
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 6 of 80 claims
ABC News (AU)
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 7 of 36 claims Outlet record 67/100
ABC News (US)
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 3 of 47 claims Outlet record 67/100
Al Jazeera
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 0 of 14 claims Outlet record 60/100
Washington Examiner
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 1 of 37 claims Outlet record 69/100
The Independent
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 0 of 9 claims Outlet record 59/100
CBC News
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 7 of 92 claims Outlet record 60/100
Washington Examiner
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 3 of 44 claims Outlet record 69/100
Al Jazeera
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 32 of 84 claims Outlet record 60/100
CBS News
Hedges 0 of 2 claims Outlet record 69/100
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
73
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
10%
7 of 73 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
69/100
CBS News's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
755
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-11-05 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

CBS News · 4754 article(s) · 8 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 8 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Caroline Linton
31 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 - House Democrats will control 251 to 268 seats, CBS News projects, after and .
2026-11-05 · assertive framing · Democrats prepare to take Congress after sweeping wins
🔮 Republican efforts started when to redraw their map to net up to five seats for the GOP.But despite the all-out effort, on Tuesday, with CBS News estimating Democrats could end up with 251 to 268 House seats.
🔮 Ahead of the May runoff, many of Texas' prominent elected Republicans united against French's candidacy, although he ultimately won the nomination.
🔮 Democrat Katy Padilla Stout is projected to win Texas' 23rd Congressional District, flipping the seat after Republicans nominated controversial pro-gun YouTube personality Brandon Herrera.
🔮 Pulido garnered national headlines as he continued to perform at quinceaneras while on the campaign trail after De La Cruz posted a video in May "this isn't about who you would want to perform at your niece's quinceanera."
🔮 With Wisconsin voters facing those far-left choices on the ballot, Crowley announced he would return to the campaign trail as a centrist Democrat.
2026-11-04 · assertive framing · Democrat David Crowley wins Wisconsin governor's race
🔮 CBS News projects Rob Sand will win the Iowa governor's office, the first Democrat to be elected to the governor's mansion since 2006 and defeating Zach Lahn, an outsider Republican who had defeated President Trump's pick in the GOP primary in May.
🔮 Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs will win the governor's race, CBS News projects, besting Rep. Andy Biggs, who was backed by President Trump and has promoted conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election.
🔮 What to know about Election Day for the 2026 midterms: - Tuesday morning, after more than 57 million Americans already voted early, according to the University of Florida Voting Lab. - All 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats , while 36 states will be electing governors.
🔮 - As the campaign season comes to a close, President Trump will be holding an event Monday at the Washington, D.C. Reflecting Pool.
Also by Caroline Linton
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 31 articles by Caroline Linton →
Caitlin Yilek
34 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 - House Democrats will control 251 to 268 seats, CBS News projects, after and .
2026-11-05 · assertive framing · Democrats prepare to take Congress after sweeping wins
🔮 Winners in dozens of races have yet to be projected by CBS News.
🔮 Washington — GOP Rep. David Valadao lost his reelection bid in California's 22nd District, CBS News projected.
🔮 — Progressive William Lawrence beat one-term Republican Rep. Tom Barrett in Michigan's 7th Congressional District, CBS News projected.
🔮 House Speaker Mike Johnson told staffers that he will not run for minority leader in the new Congress, according to a source familiar with the matter, stepping aside after the GOP's .Johnson made the announcement on a call Wednesday morning, the source said.
🔮 CBS News projects Democrats will take control of both chambers when the new Congress convenes in January, with wide margins in each.
2026-11-04 · assertive framing · The biggest races Democrats won in the midterms
🔮 Longtime Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur won a rematch against Republican Derek Merrin in Ohio's 9th Congressional District, CBS News projected.
2026-11-04 · assertive framing · Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur wins Ohio rematch
🔮 Washington — lost his bid for reelection to Democrat Brian Poindexter in Ohio's 7th Congressional District, CBS News projected.
2026-11-04 · assertive framing · Embattled GOP Rep. Max Miller loses reelection in Ohio
🔮 Washington — Democrat Denise Powell flipped Nebraska's competitive 2nd Congressional District, which is currently represented by retiring Republican Rep. Don Bacon, CBS News projected.
🔮 Washington — Democrats will capture enough House seats to retake control of the chamber early next year, CBS News projects, effectively halting President Trump's legislative agenda and teeing up a wave of investigations into his administration and business ventures during his final two years in the White House.
2026-11-04 · assertive framing · Democrats retake House majority after 4 years
Also by Caitlin Yilek
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 34 articles by Caitlin Yilek →
Kaia Hubbard
60 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 - House Democrats will control 251 to 268 seats, CBS News projects, after and .
2026-11-05 · assertive framing · Democrats prepare to take Congress after sweeping wins
🔮 The count in Alaska could stretch on.
🔮 But Colom, a district attorney, launched a formidable challenge, and could deliver Democrats yet another victory.
🔮 Though Osborn has said he wouldn't have caucused with Democrats, Ricketts' projected victory wards off an outcome that could have subtracted further from their majority.
🔮 At the same time, top Republicans, including President Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and member of the , and implied that electing him could even be deadly to Americans.
🔮 The projected victory spells trouble for Republicans as they fight to hold onto their Senate majority, after the unpopular war in Iran and persistently high gas and diesel prices expanded a map once favorable to the GOP, putting a number of red states in play for Democrats.
2026-11-04 · assertive framing · Troy Jackson defeats longtime Maine Sen. Susan Collins
🔮 The projected victory for Democrats closes the door on one of the few pickup opportunities for Republicans.
🔮 Turek, 47, is a former wheelchair basketball Paralympian and state representative who campaigned on his record of working across the aisle, and sought what was initially viewed as a long-shot bid for the seat in the U.S Senate after GOP Sen. Joni Ernst announced she wouldn't seek reelection.
2026-11-04 · assertive framing · Democrat Josh Turek wins Iowa Senate race
🔮 Democrats won control of the Senate in the 2026 elections, CBS News projected, after a raft of victories over Republicans in key races, cementing the new majority and flipping party control of the upper chamber.
🔮 Democrat James Talarico will defeat Republican Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate race, CBS News projects, marking a major flip for Democrats that they have long sought in the Lone Star State.
Also by Kaia Hubbard
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 60 articles by Kaia Hubbard →
Kathryn Watson
28 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 - House Democrats will control 251 to 268 seats, CBS News projects, after and .
2026-11-05 · assertive framing · Democrats prepare to take Congress after sweeping wins
🔮 The president assembled reporters and construction workers in the unfinished massive new structure, where the building's final steel beam was set to be hoisted into the ceiling.
🔮 "I feel that I wasn't on the ballot and there was nothing that could be done about that," he said.
🔮 Control of the House and Senate may not be immediately clear on election night, and some of the 2026 midterm election calls will take longer than others.
2026-11-03 · assertive framing · Why some key races won't be decided on election night
🔮 "Everything that's on their website, speeches, press releases, anything that they want the agent to know, and then our agent will only ever discuss that information."
🔮 First lady Melania Trump joined him for a signing ceremony in the Rose Garden and said the executive order will make progress on five objectives: - Directing research funding to find cures that disproportionately affect women. - Using artificial intelligence to speed up medical discoveries. - Accelerating new therapeutics for women. - Delivering medical breakthroughs for women at an affordable price. - Making conversations about women's health less taboo.
2026-10-19 · assertive framing · Trump signs executive order on women's health
🔮 "Kim Guilfoyle and her lawyers claimed my allegations were false and they would defend the allegations vigorously," Deters wrote in a statement accompanying his lawsuit.
🔮 "She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well."
🔮 "I responded that I would never take my Trump hat off to appease the left," she wrote.
🔮 The revelation that the Pentagon plans to livestream the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, the ex-Army major convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, has sparked intense pushback, with one Republican senator calling it "disgusting" and critics warning it could inspire more acts of terrorism.
2026-10-09 · assertive framing · Pentagon's plan to livestream execution sparks backlash
Also by Kathryn Watson
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 28 articles by Kathryn Watson →
Joe Walsh
46 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 - House Democrats will control 251 to 268 seats, CBS News projects, after and .
2026-11-05 · assertive framing · Democrats prepare to take Congress after sweeping wins
🔮 Winners in dozens of races have yet to be projected by CBS News.
🔮 What to know about Election Day for the 2026 midterms: - Tuesday morning, after more than 57 million Americans already voted early, according to the University of Florida Voting Lab. - All 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats , while 36 states will be electing governors.
🔮 But now, Hispanics may be coming back.
🔮 The advertisement will run on DAZN, the sports streaming platform carrying Saturday's fight.
🔮 Federal officials have also suggested for months that election workers could be prosecuted if they fail to stop noncitizens from voting.
🔮 - President Trump will fly to Florida for a rally in Daytona Beach, continuing a weekslong blitz to urge his base to turn out — and push back on voters' angst about the economy.
🔮 This is a breaking story; it will be updated.
🔮 " "Mary got in this race because Alaskans deserve a champion who is fighting to lower their costs and put Alaska first, and no tweet or threat from any DC politician will keep her away from that fight," the campaign spokesperson said.
🔮 the war could cost $2 billion to $3 billion per month for as long as it continues, in part due to the need to replace interceptor missiles to defend against Iranian attacks.
2026-10-28 · mixed framing · Iran war has cost $47 billion, U.S. military says
Also by Joe Walsh
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 46 articles by Joe Walsh →
Melissa Quinn
36 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 - House Democrats will control 251 to 268 seats, CBS News projects, after and .
2026-11-05 · assertive framing · Democrats prepare to take Congress after sweeping wins
🔮 The president assembled reporters and construction workers in the unfinished massive new structure, where the building's final steel beam was set to be hoisted into the ceiling.
🔮 Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday that he believes Republicans of Congress because of voters' opposition to the war in Iran and suggested that the conflict may not have been worth the cost of losing the GOP's hold on the Senate.
🔮 CBS News projects Democrats will take control of both chambers when the new Congress convenes in January, with wide margins in each.
2026-11-04 · assertive framing · The biggest races Democrats won in the midterms
🔮 Also in Texas, Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa is projected to , a Republican, making her the first Democrat to win the governor's mansion in more than 30 years.
🔮 The state, however, denied the request for an accommodation and said the Catholic schools could not "discriminate against children or families in violation of state statute."
🔮 for a temporary restraining order that would've required ballots received from those on the list to be segregated and said the Trump administration's process for identifying the alleged noncitizens was "rife with uncertainty and errors.
🔮 The Supreme Court on Tuesday is set to hear a dispute over religious rights when it weighs whether from its universal preschool program over their refusal to enroll students from families that don't adhere to the church's teachings on marriage and sex.
🔮 But in the request to the Supreme Court, Solicitor General D. John Sauer said the government is seeking a "modest remedy" that will ensure any ballots cast by people who are not American citizens do not "debase or dilute valid votes.
🔮 Since no candidate reached 51 votes in the first round, Candidate D — the one with the fewest votes — would be eliminated in the second round of counting.
2026-11-02 · assertive framing · How Alaska's ranked choice voting system works
Also by Melissa Quinn
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 36 articles by Melissa Quinn →
Stefan Becket
6 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 - House Democrats will control 251 to 268 seats, CBS News projects, after and .
2026-11-05 · assertive framing · Democrats prepare to take Congress after sweeping wins
🔮 Leaving the White House on Friday, the president signaled that Zacharia might not be in the role for long, saying he told her he would "reconsider" taking the job if he were in her shoes.
🔮 "Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement announcing the measures.
🔮 A former CIA official who was in his home in May pleaded guilty on Tuesday, admitting he invented fake classified programs to divert nearly $200 million in government money that he used to buy Florida mansions and gold.
🔮 "I don't know how a letter that they got after the pass was revoked could provide them with the kind of standards that they would have to conform their conduct to.
🔮 One document describes the goals of the program and requirements for contractors who would work on it: "One aspect of the future threat environment involves advanced aerospace weapon system applications.
Also by Stefan Becket
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 6 articles by Stefan Becket →

Topics

CBS News Democrats GOP House Senate

Subjects

House ORG · 12× Democrats NORP · 9× GOP ORG · 7× CBS News ORG · 6× Republicans NORP · 5× Senate ORG · 5× Trump PERSON · 5× Alaska GPE · 4× Mississippi GPE · 3× Republican NORP · 3×

Narrative

Trump says "we would have won" if he were on ballot, "largely true" GOP lost due to Iran President Trump's first public appearance since the midterms was at the construction site for his White House ballroom, where he lauded the contractors and signed a steel beam. In remarks to reporters, Mr. Trump again blamed Republican candidates for the party's massive losses Tuesday night, saying there was so much "love" at his rallies.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-11-05
🔮 - House Democrats will control 251 to 268 seats, CBS News projects, after and .
2026-11-05 · CBS News
Democrats prepare to take Congress after sweeping wins · assertive framing

Claims (73 extracted, 7 hedged)

- After Democrats' sweeping and victories, Democratic leaders lay out how they plan to wield power with President Trump in the White House while Republicans begin preparing for their time in the minority. asserted
Republicans → sweep → minority
- Democrats won at least 54 Senate seats after in , , and more. asserted
Democrats → win → seats
The and races remain toss-ups. asserted
races → remain → ?
- House Democrats will control 251 to 268 seats, CBS News projects, after and . asserted
News → control → seats
- The fallout has begun. asserted
fallout → begin → ?
House Speaker Mike Johnson as GOP leader, and Mr. Trump has if Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should stay asserted
Hegseth → have → leader
, CBS News reported. asserted
News → report → ?
Vice President JD Vance blamed the losses on the Iran war, while Mr. Trump says his party lost because he wasn't on the ballot. asserted
he → blame → ballot
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed to wrap Mr. Trump in "legislative razor wire," as Democrats lay out oversight plans. asserted
Democrats → vow → plans
But Democratic Senator-elect Adam Hamilton told CBS News: "I do not want to spend the next two years in trials." asserted
I → tell → trials
- Find updates on all election results in the CBS News Election Center. , and How many House seats could Democrats and Republicans win? uncertain
Democrats → find → seats
House Democrats will start 2027 with a sizable majority, but their exact margin isn't clear, as votes are still being counted in key races in Maine, Montana, Florida, Alaska and elsewhere. asserted
votes → start → Maine
Here's how many House seats CBS News projects for each party: asserted
News → project → party
Senate races in Mississippi and Alaska still toss-ups CBS News still rates two Senate races as toss-ups: Alaska and Mississippi. asserted
News → toss → Alaska
The Alaska race between GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola is still tight, and vote-counting could take some time, partly due to the state's ranked-choice system. uncertain
counting → take → system
The race was shaken up last week by allegations that Peltola-linked operatives helped recruit a candidate with the same first and last name as Sullivan — which Peltola's campaign denied. asserted
campaign → shake → which
The Mississippi race between GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde Smith and Democrat Scott Colom wasn't expected to be competitive, but is razor-thin. asserted
race → expect → Smith
State officials say thousands of ballots still need to be counted, including outstanding absentee ballots that aren't due for a few more days and "affidavit" ballots from voters whose eligibility needs to be confirmed. asserted
eligibility → say → voters
Here's where control of the Senate stands: asserted
control → stand → Senate
All the House districts that flipped in the 2026 midterm elections Democrats won control of the House of Representatives on Tuesday by flipping more than two dozen Republican-held seats, picking up perennial swing districts and seats that were once considered deep-red. asserted
that → flip → districts
The party's wins ranged from suburban areas in the Northeastern United States to areas of South Texas that were once viewed as increasingly GOP-friendly. asserted
that → range → Texas
Did GOP efforts to redistrict the House turn into a dummymander? asserted
efforts → redistrict → dummymander
A state-by-state guide Republicans undertook a historic effort to redraw several states' Congressional districts mid-decade in an attempt to maintain control of the House. asserted
Republicans → undertake → House
That effort was rebuffed on Tuesday night as the GOP was on track to lose all of the districts it tried to gerrymander. asserted
it → rebuff → districts
There were several reasons that states undertook what had previously been a rare practice of mid-decade redistricting. asserted
what → be → redistricting
Republican efforts started when President Trump ordered Texas lawmakers to redraw their map to net up to five seats for the GOP. asserted
Trump → start → GOP
But despite the all-out effort, Democrats won control of the House on Tuesday, with CBS News estimating Democrats could end up with 251 to 268 House seats. . uncertain
Democrats → win → seats
Republicans react to Tuesday's "Watergate-level repudiation" asserted
Republicans → react → repudiation
Republicans have begun trying to pick up the pieces from Tuesday's midterms, with top GOP voices pitching themselves for leadership roles and offering theories on why the party lost. asserted
party → begin → theories
House Speaker Mike Johnson announced on a call with his staff that he won't run for minority leader next year, a .House Majority Leader Steve Scalise announced he plans to run for Republican leader. asserted
he → announce → leader
He told his colleagues: "We will need to be honest with ourselves about what happened." asserted
what → tell → ourselves
House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan also threw his hat in the ring, calling it a "staggering day for our Conference." asserted
Jordan → throw → Conference
He said he's "battle-tested" after brawling with Democrats on investigations. asserted
he → say → investigations
Others offered diagnoses on what went wrong. asserted
what → offer → diagnoses
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, whose state shifted hard toward Democrats, called the results an "ass-kicking" and a "Watergate-level repudiation." asserted
state → shift → results
On his podcast, Cruz argued his party didn't address a "real economic disconnect" and that many GOP politicians "seem like they didn't understand or they didn't care" about the cost of living. asserted
they → argue → living
In what could be a looming intraparty debate, Vice President JD Vance said the "reason we lost is the war." uncertain
we → loom → ?
He said many Trump 2024 voters flipped to Democrats in order to end the Iran war, address cost-of-living issues, "Put America First" and change the U.S.-Israel relationship. asserted
voters → say → relationship
The likely presidential contender wrote that "everyone knows why we lost. asserted
we → write → ?
And any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there." asserted
we → go → ?
…and 33 more, not listed.
💬Give feedback · no sign-in needed

No sign-in needed for now. Your note is sent without a name, so it cannot be answered.

🕘History 🎫Support