The US midterms 2026 produced a wave of historic firsts for women and minorities, as Democrats rode dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump’s administration to major gains, Reuters reported. Voters elected the first Black woman governor of a US state, the first Muslim US senator and the first openly gay man elected to the Senate, while Hakeem Jeffries is poised to become the first Black Speaker of the House.
Pollsters and analysts told Reuters the gains appeared to stem from economic frustration and dissatisfaction with the Iran war, tariffs, aggressive immigration enforcement and the country’s broader direction. For background on the Iran file, see our report on why Tehran says it is not ready for a Trump Iran deal.
Key points
- NBC News projects Democrats will hold 54 Senate seats to 44 for Republicans, with Alaska and Mississippi still uncalled
- NBC News estimates Democrats will win 259 House seats to 176 for Republicans; 218 are needed for control
- Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor of a US state
- Hakeem Jeffries is poised to become the first Black Speaker of the House
- Mary Peltola’s Alaska Senate race has not been called
US midterms 2026: the historic firsts
The table below lists the main firsts reported by Reuters, the Guardian, Al Jazeera and NPR. Results are unofficial until states certify them.
| Winner | Race | The first | Reported by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gina Hinojosa (D) | Texas governor, beat Greg Abbott | First Latina governor of Texas; ends a 31-year Republican hold | Reuters, Guardian |
| Abdul El-Sayed (D) | US Senate, Michigan | First Muslim elected to the US Senate | Reuters |
| Deb Haaland (D) | New Mexico governor | First Native American woman elected governor | Reuters, Al Jazeera |
| Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) | Georgia governor, beat Rick Jackson | First Black woman elected governor of a US state | Reuters, Guardian |
| Xavier Becerra (D) | California governor | First Latino elected governor of California | Reuters, Al Jazeera |
| Chris Pappas (D) | US Senate, New Hampshire, beat John Sununu | First openly gay man elected to the US Senate | Reuters, Guardian |
| David Crowley (D) | Wisconsin governor, beat Tom Tiffany | Wisconsin’s first Black governor | Reuters, Guardian |
| Jon Rosenthal (D) | Texas Railroad Commission | First Jewish candidate elected to statewide executive office in Texas | Reuters, citing the Jewish Herald-Voice |
| Byron Donalds (R) | Florida governor | First Black governor elected in Florida’s history | Reuters |
| Peggy Flanagan (D) | US Senate, Minnesota | First Native American woman elected to the US Senate | Guardian |
| Aaron Ford (D) | Nevada governor, beat Joe Lombardo | Nevada’s first Black governor | Guardian |
| Amy Acton (D) | Ohio governor, beat Vivek Ramaswamy | Ohio’s first female governor | Guardian |
| Amy Klobuchar (D) | Minnesota governor, beat Lisa Demuth | First woman elected governor of Minnesota | Guardian |
| Marsha Blackburn (R) | Tennessee governor | First woman elected governor of Tennessee | Guardian |
| Annie Andrews (D) | US Senate, South Carolina, beat Darline Graham | First woman to win a Senate election in South Carolina | NPR |
| Hakeem Jeffries (D) | House Speaker vote on 3 January | Poised to become the first Black Speaker | NPR |
| Mary Peltola (D) | US Senate, Alaska, against Dan Sullivan | Would be the first Alaska Native senator if she wins; not called | Al Jazeera |
Al Jazeera also noted that three Black women will serve in the Senate simultaneously for the first time next term: Juliana Stratton of Illinois, Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland, all Democrats.
In South Carolina, NPR reported that Andrews, a paediatrician, defeated Republican Senator Darline Graham, who was appointed to the seat after the death of her brother, Lindsey Graham, in July. Andrews is the first Democrat elected to the Senate from the state since 1998.
Jeffries poised to become Speaker
With Democrats taking the House, Jeffries is poised to become Speaker, and the House will hold its floor vote for the post when the new Congress convenes on 3 January, NPR reported. “This is a change election, and we understand as House Democrats that we need to deliver dramatic change,” he said on election night. “Things are broken. We need a Congress that puts the American people first.”
The Senate and House numbers
The figures below are projections from NBC News, last updated at 1:19am Eastern time on 5 November, which was 10:19am in Dubai. The House numbers are an NBC estimate of the final result, not a count of called races.
| Chamber | Democrats | Republicans | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | 54 | 44 | Alaska and Mississippi uncalled; 51 needed for a majority |
| House | 259 | 176 | NBC estimate; 218 needed for control |
Both uncalled Senate races are very close. In Alaska, Peltola had 48.2% to Sullivan’s 47.9% with about 75.5% of the expected vote counted. In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom had 49.0% to 48.9% for Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith with about 95.6% counted.
In Michigan, the count has moved on since our report on Abdul El-Sayed’s win. When we checked NBC News live results at 10:27am Dubai time on 5 November, about 97.5% of the expected vote was in, with El-Sayed on 52.5% and Republican Mike Rogers on 45.5%.
What people are saying
“It’s an old-fashioned thumping that we haven’t seen in quite a while.”
John Geer, Vanderbilt University political scientist (Reuters)
“From coast to coast, voters … spoke with clarity. Democrats must now govern courageously,” former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said in a statement, according to Reuters. Democratic strategist Bakari Sellers warned that the party cannot take Hispanic, Black and young voters for granted, because “if we don’t deliver, they can swing right back.”
In New Hampshire, Pappas told supporters, “They threw money, attack ads, and outright lies at us every day for months. But we beat them anyway, didn’t we?”, the Guardian reported.
The new Congress will shape the last two years of Trump’s term, after a year of changes inside the White House, including Trump’s announcement that Karoline Leavitt will leave the White House.
Sources: Reuters (via The Star), The Guardian, Al Jazeera, NPR, NBC News
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