Interactive infographic
How the 2026 Midterms Decide Control of Congress
Move the sliders to see how many House and Senate seats each party needs on November 3, 2026, to win control of Congress.
What this infographic shows
Control of Congress comes down to two numbers: 218 in the House and 51 in the Senate. Every House seat is elected every two years, so the House can change hands all at once. Senators serve six-year terms and only about a third face voters each cycle, so the Senate moves more slowly.
The bars show the full chamber after the election. Indigo is Democrats, together with the two independents who vote with them in the Senate. Ink is Republicans. The amber line marks the majority.
How to use it
- Move the House slider to split the 435 seats.
- Move the Senate slider to split the 35 seats on the ballot. The 65 senators who are not up this year are already counted.
- Try 16 Democratic Senate wins. That gives a 50–50 tie, which the vice president breaks.
Why the Senate is harder to flip
Republicans start with 31 senators who are not on the ballot, and Democrats start with 34. Because Republicans are defending more seats this year (22 against 13), Democrats have more chances to gain, but they still need to win 17 of the 35 races for a majority.
The starting counts reflect the Senate as of October 2026. Vacancies or party switches before the election would change them.
Frequently asked questions
When are the 2026 midterm elections?
Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Voters choose all 435 members of the House of Representatives and 35 senators, along with many governors and state officials.
How many Senate seats are up in 2026?
35. That is 33 regularly scheduled seats plus special elections in Ohio and Florida, for the seats JD Vance and Marco Rubio left to join the administration.
How many seats does a party need to control the House?
218 of 435. That is one more than half.
What happens if the Senate is tied 50–50?
The vice president casts the deciding vote on ties. Vice President JD Vance is a Republican, so a 50–50 Senate stays under Republican control.
Why are they called midterm elections?
Because they fall in the middle of a president's four-year term. The presidency itself is not on the ballot.
Sources
Text version of this infographic
Who controls Congress after November 3?
Move the sliders to split the seats on the ballot. The amber line is the majority each party needs.
Democrats (and the independents who vote with them)
Republicans
Majority line
House of Representatives
All 435 seats are on the ballot. A majority is 218.
Seats won by Democrats
Senate
35 of 100 seats are on the ballot: Republicans hold 22 of them and Democrats 13. The other 65 senators (34 Democrats and independents, 31 Republicans) are not up this year.
Seats on the ballot won by Democrats