Democrats sweep 2026 midterms, seizing control of House and Senate from Trump

TEHRAN, Nov 7 (OPA) — NBC News reported that Democrats secured 254 seats in the House of Representatives, outperforming Republicans who won 162 seats. In the Senate, Democrats expanded their presence to 54 seats, reducing the Republican minority to 46 seats despite pre-election projections favoring the GOP.

Historical trends show that sitting presidents routinely lose congressional seats during midterms, a phenomenon known as the 'presidential penalty.' Between 1946 and 2022, the incumbent president's party lost House seats in 18 out of 20 midterm cycles, averaging a loss of roughly 26 seats. Notable past losses include Barack Obama's administration losing 64 House seats in 2010, and Donald Trump's first midterm in 2018 resulting in a loss of 42 seats.

Control of the Senate has similarly shifted during midterms across 13 of the 20 cycles since 1946. Major historical Senate losses include the 13 seats surrendered by Dwight Eisenhower's Republicans in 1958, Harry Truman's Democrats losing 12 seats in 1946, and Obama's Democrats dropping 9 seats in 2014. Midterm gains by an incumbent president's party remain exceptionally rare, occurring only under Bill Clinton in 1998 and George W. Bush in 2002.

Simultaneous losses of both chambers to the opposition during midterms have occurred only under Harry Truman in 1946, Dwight Eisenhower in 1954, Bill Clinton in 1994, and George W. Bush in 2006. The 2026 results add Donald Trump to this select historical group, setting up a divided government as the White House approaches the final two years of its term.