Democrats Close In on Massive House Majority After Trump Faces a Setback
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Midterm results point to Democrats possibly reaching about 260 House seats, while President Donald Trump says he will accept the outcome and work with the opposition.
The 2026 midterm elections are lining up to give Democrats a House majority near their 2008 high-water mark. According to a New York Times analysis, Democrats have flipped 52 of the 234 districts that President Donald Trump carried in 2024, bringing their total to 253 seats against the Republicans' 155. With 27 races still undecided, the party could surpass 260 seats, which would amount to an 85-seat advantage, the largest for Democrats since the early 1990s.
If the final count holds, Democrats would control about 60 percent of the chamber, a level not seen in half a century. The outcome would also be the first time President Trump, who also served as president from 2017 to 2021, would face a Congress controlled by the opposition in both chambers.
Senate races in Alaska and Mississippi remain unresolved, leaving open the possibility of a modest Democratic gain in the upper chamber.
President Trump responded to the results, telling The New York Times that he is "absolutely willing to accept those results" and pledged to "work with the Democrats." He later posted on social media an image of a red baseball cap bearing the word "VETO," signaling that he intends to defend his agenda against incoming legislation.
"I am absolutely willing to accept those results," Trump said.
Democratic leaders said they intend to use their congressional majority to investigate members of the administration and to consider further oversight measures.