Democrats Projected to Win U.S. Senate, AP Reports

Democrats set to take Senate

November 4, 2026 · 12:14 a.m. Eastern

Democrats are projected to take control of the U.S. Senate after picking up seats in the 2026 midterm elections, the Associated Press reports. The result would shift power in Washington when the next Congress takes office in January.

The AP reports Democratic gains in states including North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Texas and Kansas. In Iowa, the AP also called the Senate race for Democrat Josh Turek. Axios also reports that Republicans have lost Senate control, citing AP projections.

These are news organizations’ election calls, not certified results. Ballots still must be counted and reviewed, states must certify their results, and the final balance of seats depends on races still being resolved.

The races behind the shift

Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper won a Republican-held Senate seat, the AP projected. In South Carolina, Democrat Annie Andrews defeated Republican Sen. Darline Graham, according to the AP’s race call.

In Ohio, the AP projected former Sen. Sherrod Brown’s return to the chamber. In Texas, the news agency called the race for Democratic state Rep. James Talarico. Democrat Adam Hamilton also defeated Republican Sen. Roger Marshall in Kansas, according to Axios, citing the AP.

The AP later called Iowa’s contest for Turek, who ran against Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson for retiring Sen. Joni Ernst’s seat. Each call concerns a separate state race; the chamber projection adds up the results across the country.

What a Senate majority can do

The party in control can shape the Senate’s agenda and lead its committees. The Senate also votes on executive and judicial nominations, giving its new majority an influential role in deciding whether President Donald Trump’s nominees are confirmed. A majority does not guarantee approval of every nominee or bill.

Legislation generally needs to pass both the Senate and House before it can be sent to the president. CBS News separately projects that Democrats will win the House. The two organizations make their own election calls; neither projection is an official certification.

Republicans remain in charge of the current Senate until the newly elected Congress convenes. Under the Constitution, that is scheduled for January 3, 2027.

Where the Senate meets

Senate elections took place in states across the country. The star marks the approximate U.S. Capitol area in Washington, where the Senate meets; it is not a polling place.

Key dates

1. November 3, 2026 — Voters cast ballots in the midterm elections, including contests for Senate seats.
2. November 4, 2026 — In early Eastern time coverage, the AP reported that Democrats had won Senate control, based on its race calls.
3. January 3, 2027 — The new Congress is scheduled to convene.

Sources and visual credits

Associated Press: election updates · AP: Iowa Senate call · AP: North Carolina Senate call · AP: South Carolina Senate call · AP: Ohio Senate call · AP: Texas Senate call · Axios: Kansas Senate result · CBS News: House projection.

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