Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate in the 2026 midterms, and what happens now that Democrats won will shape Washington’s agenda when the new Congress convenes in January.
The NBC News Decision Desk projects Democrats will control the House and the Senate, with NBC saying Democrats are “poised to win at least 258 seats” in the House based on their model of current vote counts and past returns.
With unified control, Democratic leaders will set what bills reach the floor and the committee agenda. NBC reports the party flipped dozens of districts and is positioned to hold a sizeable House majority, which gives them the procedural power to schedule votes and launch investigations.
That power includes staffing House committees, advancing budget and spending bills, and holding oversight hearings. PBS reports the party also picked up governorships and state legislative chambers, giving Democrats more control over policy at the state level and influence on redistricting going into 2027.
Practical steps in Washington will include electing House and Senate leaders in early January, assigning chairs and ranking members on committees, and moving on priority items like affordability measures and oversight of the executive branch — all actions described in NBC and PBS coverage of the post-election transition.
What happens now that Democrats won also affects investigations: NBC and PBS note that a party controlling both chambers can call witnesses, issue subpoenas through committee chairs, and prioritize oversight of federal agencies and any ongoing probes.
For readers tracking the week ahead, the party’s immediate calendar will be shaped by internal leadership votes and the legislative priorities House and Senate Democratic leaders announce after they meet. For background on how the wave built before election night, see our earlier roundup of returns and forecasts in Blue tsunami forecasts and the daily briefing U.S. politics roundup.
Sources
- NBC News — projected Democratic control of both chambers and reported the Decision Desk projection that Democrats are “poised to win at least 258 seats” in the House.
- PBS NewsHour — reported Democratic gains in state governments and explained policy areas state trifectas may affect.
