Tracking control of the U.S. House and Senate

Midterm elections — held two years into every presidential term — have historically served as a referendum on the sitting president. Since World War II, the president's party has lost an average of 26 House seats and 4 Senate seats in midterm elections.

In 2026, all 435 House seats and 33 Senate seats are on the ballot. Republicans currently hold the House majority by a narrow margin, while the Senate landscape presents Democrats with a challenging map: of the 33 seats up in 2026, Democrats and independents who caucus with them must defend a disproportionate share.

Control of Congress determines whether a president's legislative agenda advances or stalls. A divided government — where one party controls the White House and the other controls at least one chamber — has been the norm in American politics for much of the past three decades.