2026 midterm elections decide control of the House, Senate, and 36 governorships

Voters elect all 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, 35 U.S. Senate seats (33 regular cycle plus special elections in Florida and Ohio), and governors in 36 states and three territories. Democrats need a net gain of three House seats to win the majority; Republicans can lose no more than two. In the Senate, Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take the majority. Special Senate elections fill the unexpired terms of Marco Rubio (R-FL, resigned to become Secretary of State) and JD Vance (R-OH, resigned to become Vice President). Thirty-nine gubernatorial elections are on the ballot, with 15 incumbents term-limited — including in Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, and California. The Cook Political Report rated 17 House races as toss-ups as of April 2026, 14 of them held by Republicans.