US midterm elections underway with control of Congress at stake

Americans vote in midterm elections on November 3, 2026, with all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats contested. Historical trends suggest the president's party often loses House seats, while Senate control hinges on tight races in several states.

In the US midterm elections, which opened today (Tuesday), 35 Senate seats are up for election — two more than the regular cycle of 33, due to special elections for seats vacated when Trump took office. 22 of the seats are currently held by Republicans and 13 by Democrats. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate; Democrats need 51 seats to take control, while Republicans need only 50, because in the event of a tie, the Vice President casts the deciding vote. The special seats are in Florida, where Marco Rubio left to serve as Secretary of State and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Ashley Moody in his place, and in Ohio, where J.D. Vance resigned upon being elected Vice President and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine appointed John Husted in his place. The appointments are temporary only, and the special elections were tied to the general election day. The winners will serve only the remaining two years of the terms of Rubio and Vance, until January 2029. According to CBS, the battle for control of the Senate is expected to be decided in 11 key states, including Maine, North Carolina, Michigan, and Texas. The decision may be delayed several days due to ranked-choice voting in Maine and Alaska.