Politics · Updated September 9, 2026
2026 Midterms
A dated look at Senate and House races, national conditions, election history, and reporting from the states.
Measured facts, published race ratings and AREFMB interpretation are labeled separately.
Senate
Nine states define the practical board.
Three Democratic-held defenses and six Republican-held pickup opportunities identified in current AP reporting. Select a state for live local coverage.
House
The tipping-point district board.
Sixteen current toss-ups in the September 3 Inside Elections ratings, shown as a concise monitoring universe.
Historical context
Midterms usually move power—but not uniformly.
Net seat changes in the five most recent midterms show why the national environment matters while individual races still decide control.
| Cycle | President's party | House change | Senate change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Republican | −30 | −6 |
| 2010 | Democratic | −63 | −6 |
| 2014 | Democratic | −13 | −9 |
| 2018 | Republican | −41 | +2 |
| 2022 | Democratic | −9 | +1 |
Seat changes are shown from the perspective of the sitting president's party. Sources: U.S. House and Senate historical party divisions.
Sources and limits
A dated public-information screen.
Senate control path and principal state universe: Associated Press, September 8, 2026. House toss-up universe: Inside Elections ratings as reproduced by 270toWin, September 3, 2026. Candidate filings should be checked against the Federal Election Commission. Ratings are third-party assessments, not facts or AREFMB endorsements. Live headlines and station videos link to their original publishers.