Maps and Numbers Show the Stakes in the 2026 Midterms
WHO:
ABC News - President Donald Trump leads the White House, while Republicans hold majorities in the House and Senate; the midterm vote will determine control of both chambers.
ABC News - House Speaker Mike Johnson is a Louisiana Republican. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is a Brooklyn Democrat seeking to become the first Black speaker in U.S. history.
ABC News - Senate Majority Leader John Thune leads Republicans; Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer leads Democrats.
ABC News - Rep. Kevin Kiley of California is an independent who generally supports Johnson on the House floor. The two vacant House seats were last held by former Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales and former Florida Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.
Al Jazeera - About 210 million Americans are registered voters. Trump is not on the ballot; voters will elect members of Congress and governors in 36 states, as well as state and local officials.
Al Jazeera - The article names Senate races involving Jon Ossoff and Mike Collins in Georgia; Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers in Michigan; Chris Pappas and John Sununu in New Hampshire; Susan Collins and Troy Jackson in Maine; and Roy Cooper and Michael Whatley in North Carolina. It also identifies Ohio, Alaska, Iowa, Texas and Kansas as competitive or drawing attention.
Al Jazeera - Todd Belt, a George Washington University professor of political management, and Nadia Brown, a Georgetown University professor of government, discussed the elections. Belt estimated about 35 House races could decide control and predicted Democrats could gain about 15 seats.
WHAT:
ABC News - Republicans’ legislative record includes the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, formerly known as Trump’s “One, Big Beautiful Bill.”
ABC News - All 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats are contested. Democrats need a net gain of three House seats and four Senate seats to take control.
ABC News - The House has 218 Republicans, 214 Democrats, one independent who generally supports Republicans, and two vacancies. Johnson effectively begins election night with a 220–215 edge over Jeffries.
ABC News - The Senate has 53 Republicans and a Democratic-aligned bloc of 47: 45 Democrats and two independents. Republicans can retain control after losing three seats because the vice president can break ties.
Al Jazeera - House members serve two-year terms; senators serve six-year terms. A party needs 218 House seats for a majority. Republicans hold 22 of the contested Senate seats and Democrats 13.
Al Jazeera - Losing either chamber would let Democrats block legislation and investigate Trump’s administration. A Democratic House could also impeach Trump; a Democratic Senate could block legislation and reject presidential nominees.
Al Jazeera - A 50–50 Senate split would leave Republicans in control because Vice President JD Vance can cast tie-breaking votes. Senate rules generally require 60 votes to end debate on most legislation; overriding a presidential veto requires two-thirds of each chamber.
Al Jazeera - Since 1946, presidents’ parties have lost an average of 26.5 House seats and a handful of Senate seats in midterms, according to Belt. Average voter turnout since 1944 has been about 42% in midterms and 58% in presidential elections.
Al Jazeera - A Pew Research Center survey conducted from September 28 to October 4 found 44% supported the Democratic candidate in their district, 36% the Republican, 5% another candidate and 15% were unsure. Men were split 42%–42%; women favored Democrats 45%–31%.
Al Jazeera - California has 23.2 million registered voters, Texas 17.4 million and Florida 13.6 million—about 26% combined. Wyoming has 278,468, Vermont 459,455 and Alaska 603,310.
Al Jazeera - Cost of living, petrol, housing and healthcare costs, reproductive rights, immigration, democracy, the US-Israel war on Iran, artificial intelligence and data centres are identified as election issues.
Al Jazeera - Belt said, “If Democrats take one chamber, all non-government funding legislation will grind to a halt.” He also said, “There will definitely be investigations,” but considered another impeachment unlikely.
WHERE:
ABC News - House and Senate control, federal lawmaking and spending are at stake in Washington.
Al Jazeera - The election includes races across the United States, including special Senate elections in Florida and Ohio.
WHEN:
Al Jazeera - The new House and Senate are scheduled to be sworn in on January 3, 2027.
Al Jazeera - Results are expected to begin emerging after polls close at 6pm Eastern time (23:00 GMT); some close races could take days to resolve. Georgia would hold a Senate runoff on December 1 if no candidate wins a majority.
Al Jazeera - Officials may take days or weeks to count and certify final results; Belt said counting may take “up to a week or more” in some states.
WHY:
Al Jazeera - Nadia Brown said local ballot propositions and referendums affect people’s everyday lives.
Al Jazeera - Todd Belt said Republican redistricting gave Republicans an advantage in nine additional House districts.
Al Jazeera - Belt said presidents facing divided government in their final two years traditionally pivot almost exclusively to foreign policy, and predicted Trump would do the same if his domestic agenda faced congressional opposition.
ABC News - Democrats are campaigning on affordability and anticorruption; Republicans are defending their record and warning against what they call “Mamdani madness.”
Al Jazeera - Midterm elections are widely considered a referendum on the sitting president’s performance. Brown said local politics is where most Americans interact with government.
HOW:
Al Jazeera - Some budget bills can pass the Senate with a simple majority, despite the general 60-vote threshold to end debate on most legislation.
Al Jazeera - Government funding relies on 12 annual bills for federal agencies; Belt said Democratic control of the House could increase confrontations over spending and raise the possibility of government shutdowns.
Al Jazeera - House seats are apportioned among states by population using the U.S. Census conducted every 10 years; senators are elected statewide, with two per state.
Al Jazeera - Final counts include mail-in, provisional and other outstanding ballots. Belt warned that early results may show a “red mirage” because later-counted mail ballots can change apparent leads; a counting delay or change in lead does not by itself indicate fraud.
(UPDATED October 27, 2026 13:23 UTC)
Control of Congress is at stake in the midterms, with all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats contested as President Trump’s Republicans defend their majorities. Democrats need a net gain of three House seats and four Senate seats to take control, which would let them block legislation and investigate the administration; voters are also choosing governors in 36 states and deciding local races. Results will emerge after polls close, but close contests could take days to resolve, and the new Congress is scheduled to be sworn in on January 3, 2027.
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(UPDATED October 27, 2026 12:02 UTC)
Control of Congress is at stake, with all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats contested, and Democrats needing to gain three House seats and four Senate seats to take control. President Trump is not on the ballot, but the election will test his administration, while voters also choose governors and state and local officials; the leading issues include affordability, healthcare, reproductive rights, immigration and democracy. Results are expected after polls close, though close races could take days to resolve, and the newly elected Congress is scheduled to be sworn in on January 3, 2027.