Democrats win both houses of Congress, with NBC projecting 244 House seats

Democrats have won control of both chambers of the US Congress in the midterm elections held on November 3, 2026, according to projections by American television networks and the Associated Press. The Times of Israel reported that CNN and NBC News were first to call the House of Representatives for the Democrats, with NBC projecting the party would hold at least 244 seats in the 435-member chamber.

The Senate followed hours later. The Times of Israel, citing the networks and the AP, reported that Democrats had taken Senate seats from Republicans in at least six states, among them Texas, Kansas and South Carolina, states long regarded as reliably Republican. Tomer Almagor of Israel's N12 News reported that all the major networks were projecting at least 51 Senate seats for the Democrats, and that the margin was likely to grow as counting continued overnight.

What the midterms decide

Midterm elections take place halfway through a US president's four-year term. Every seat in the House of Representatives is contested, along with a portion of the Senate. Control of the two chambers determines which party sets the legislative agenda, and the Senate also votes on whether to approve many of the president's nominees.

Until this vote, President Donald Trump's Republican Party held both chambers. The result means Mr Trump will face a Congress led by his opponents for the remaining two years of his presidency, which reporters for both Israeli and American outlets described as setting up a period of confrontation between the White House and Capitol Hill.

How the Senate count unfolded

The Senate tally moved quickly through the early hours of Wednesday, Israel time. In an earlier update, Almagor reported that Democrats had 50 candidates declared winners, one short of a majority, with 12 races still undecided. Shortly afterwards the networks projected the 51st seat. Almagor also said the Democratic margin in the House would be wider still than in the Senate.

Several individual races drew attention in Israeli coverage:

• Texas: Ynet reported that Talarico delivered the first Democratic victory in a Texas Senate race since 1988.
• South Carolina: The sister of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham lost the state's Senate race to a Democrat, a result The Times of Israel called a stunning upset.
• New York: Republican Representative Mike Lawler conceded to his Democratic challenger, according to The Times of Israel.
• Colorado: Melat Kiros, whom The Times of Israel described as anti-Israel, was elected to the House.

Michigan and the Israel angle

The Michigan Senate race was still being counted when the reports were published. Commentator Amit Segal reported that Abdul El-Sayed was ahead by three percent with roughly half the votes counted. Ynet said El-Sayed was close to becoming the first Muslim member of the Senate. The Israeli outlets characterised him differently: Ynet called him anti-Israel, while Segal called him antisemitic. Neither report set out the statements or positions behind those descriptions.

Trump's response

According to Ynet, Mr Trump acknowledged the results while saying Republicans would have won had he been on the ballot. The Times of Israel reported a similar remark, quoting him as saying the party would have won in a "landslide" if he had been running. The Times of Israel also reported that he told The New York Times he was willing to "work with the Democrats" after the vote.

What it could mean for Iran policy

For Israeli readers, the most direct consequence may involve the confrontation with Iran. Almagor wrote that a Democratic Senate would allow the party to block Mr Trump's appointments and to constrain his ability to fund his policies, including funding he described as important for the war with Iran. Ynet similarly said the result would sharply limit the president's room for manoeuvre for the rest of his term.

What the reports do not say

The final seat counts in both chambers were not yet known when these reports were filed: NBC's House figure is a minimum, and Almagor said the Senate margin was expected to rise. The Michigan race had not been called. None of the reports names the six or more states where Senate seats changed hands beyond Texas, Kansas and South Carolina, gives the full name of the Democratic winner in South Carolina, or reports any response from Democratic leaders on how they intend to use their new majorities, including on Iran funding.