A midterm election is a nationwide election held in even-numbered years that fall between presidential elections. All 435 House seats and one-third of the 100 Senate seats are on the ballot. Midterms occur every two years, with presidential elections every four years, meaning Congress is elected in a staggered pattern.
Historically, the party holding the presidency loses House seats in midterms—the average loss since 1950 is 25 seats. This pattern holds whether the president is popular or unpopular, though the magnitude varies. Midterm turnout is typically 10-15 percentage points lower than presidential election turnout. The lower turnout and historical pattern toward opposition-party gains create conditions where a "wave election" can occur: a national environment so favorable to one party that even traditionally safe districts flip.
Midterms are often interpreted as a referendum on the sitting president, though Congress's legislative record matters too. A president can lose the House while the Senate remains controlled by his party, or vice versa, complicating the narrative.
Midterms determine whether a president's party maintains congressional control. They're often framed as a referendum on presidential performance and set conditions for the next two years of governance.
People sometimes think midterms elect a "new president." Midterms elect a new Congress—House and one-third of the Senate. The sitting president remains in office.
Midterms determine whether a president's party maintains congressional control. They're often framed as a referendum on presidential performance and set conditions for the next two years of governance.
People sometimes think midterms elect a "new president." Midterms elect a new Congress—House and one-third of the Senate. The sitting president remains in office.