Democrats Projected to Win U.S. House, CBS News Says

CBS projects a House majority

November 3, 2026 · 11:12 p.m. Eastern

Democrats are projected to win control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 midterms, CBS News reports, putting the party on course to end Republican control of the chamber when the new Congress convenes in January.

The projection follows Democratic wins in a series of Republican-held districts. The Associated Press separately reported Democratic gains in key House races, including seats in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Kentucky.

A network projection is a judgment based on available election data, not an official certification. The final number of seats won by each party is not yet settled, and states must complete their counts and certify the individual results.

How the call was made

CBS says its election team projects that Democrats will win enough seats to control the 435-member House. A majority normally requires 218 seats.

News organizations do not all use the same approach to announcing control. AP says it waits until it has called at least 218 individual House races for one party before declaring a House majority. CBS’s projection should therefore be understood as its own election-night assessment, not a statement that every district has been called or certified.

Republicans currently control the House; the CBS live report lists 218 Republicans and one independent who caucuses with them, alongside 214 Democrats and two vacancies before the new Congress.

Races behind the shift

In New Jersey’s 7th District, Democrat Rebecca Bennett defeated Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr., CBS projected. The network also projected Democrat Bob Brooks over Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in Pennsylvania’s 7th District and Democrat Zach Dembo over Republican Ralph Alvarado in Kentucky’s open 6th District.

AP independently reported that Kean and Mackenzie lost and that Democrats won the Kentucky seat. The eventual size of the new majority will depend on the remaining district races.

What changes in Washington

A House majority can elect the speaker and control the chamber’s committees and legislative calendar. Democrats could use those powers to scrutinize the Trump administration and influence which bills reach the floor; laws would still need approval from the Senate and, ordinarily, the president’s signature.

The result does not by itself determine Senate control. Democrats have projected Senate pickups in North Carolina and South Carolina, while other contests remain significant. The new House will choose its speaker when its members convene; the election result does not itself appoint one.

Where the House meets

The House election was national, with voters choosing representatives by district. The star marks the approximate U.S. Capitol area in Washington, where the House meets; it is not a polling place.

Key dates

1. November 8, 2022 — Republicans won a House majority in the midterm elections.
2. November 5, 2024 — Voters elected the current Congress; Republicans retained House control.
3. November 3, 2026 — Voters chose the next House, and CBS News projected a Democratic majority.
4. January 3, 2027 — The new Congress is scheduled to convene.

Sources and visual credits

CBS News: House projection and race calls · Associated Press: election results · AP: election updates and House-call process · Reuters: congressional stakes.

Visual: conceptual paper-cut Capitol, ballot and seating, not a photograph or a diagram of actual seat totals. Map data: OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.