U.S. Senate · 3 November 2026
Seven Republican seats fall
Democrats 54 seats (including two independents who caucus with them), Republicans 44, two uncalled (Alaska, Mississippi); seven seats flipped from Republican to Democrat: Iowa, Kansas, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas. Texas: Talarico 55.1%, Paxton 43.0%, 99% counted. Democrats won the Senate on a night that saw them flip seats in Texas, South Carolina and Kansas. Chuck Schumer: “The American people reduced the red brick wall to a pile of bricks.” Democrats won both chambers, including seats in Republican strongholds, as voters expressed frustration over the war with Iran, the cost of living and the President's conduct. Josh Turek defeated Rep. Ashley Hinson in Iowa; Adam Hamilton ousted Sen. Roger Marshall in Kansas; Sherrod Brown beat Sen. Jon Husted in Ohio; Roy Cooper took an open North Carolina seat. Talarico's Senate win and Gina Hinojosa's election as governor gave Democrats two statewide victories in Texas, ending a string of defeats lasting almost two generations; Hinojosa is the first Latina elected governor of Texas; Kansas elected its first Democratic senator for nearly a century. Andrews, a paediatrician who campaigned on healthcare affordability, beat Darline Graham and becomes the first Democrat to represent South Carolina in the Senate in more than a quarter of a century.
History
When these states last elected Democrats
“Kansas has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1932”; Texas had not done so since 1988; in Iowa and North Carolina “it's been 18 years”. Records that South Carolina's last Democratic Senate victory came in 1998. Susan Collins's defeat in Maine “ended 30 years of Republican tenure in the seat”; North Carolina last elected a Democratic senator in 2008.
FEC · 2024
Trump's 2024 margins
Trump's 2024 margins: Texas +13.68, Kansas +16.12, South Carolina +17.87, Iowa +13.21, Ohio +11.21, North Carolina +3.21; Maine Harris +6.94.
U.S. House · 3 November 2026
35 seats, redrawn maps and named defeats
242 seats called for Democrats and 151 for Republicans, with 42 uncalled; 35 Republican-held seats flipped to the Democrats and one Democratic-held seat flipped to the Republicans. 218 is a majority. Named Republican defeats include Ann Wagner (Missouri 2nd, to Fred Wellman), Victoria Spartz (Indiana 5th), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pennsylvania 1st), Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn (Iowa 1st and 3rd), Monica De La Cruz (Texas 15th, to Bobby Pulido) and David Valadao (California 22nd, to Randy Villegas); Democrats also took open Republican seats including Kentucky's 6th and Texas's 23rd. In Texas, Democrats held the targeted 9th, 28th, 34th and 35th districts and flipped the 15th and 23rd; in Florida they held the targeted 14th, 22nd and 25th; in Ohio they held the 1st and 9th and flipped the 7th and 15th. Missouri's proposed redraw was blocked. “A number of Democratic candidates won in House districts that were redesigned by Republican-controlled state legislatures with the intention of easing the way for GOP candidates to win.”
Governors · 3 November 2026
Five governorships flip
Five governorships flipped from Republican to Democrat: Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio and Texas. Alaska and Kansas were uncalled. Texas: Hinojosa 52.8%, Abbott 45.7%.
Campaign spending
Musk's $474 million
“Musk, who spent a record of at least $474 million on the midterms, funneled $224 million, or nearly half, into Texas alone”, in support of Ken Paxton and Greg Abbott. “Trump-backed candidates in South Carolina, North Carolina, Texas and Michigan all lost.”
Tallahassee · 4 November 2026
“An extinction-level event”
“Close to an extinction-level event” for the party “in many parts of the country, as we have seen probably in the last 100 years”; “This was a rejection of Republicans in Washington”; of the 10 largest states, “only one state will have Republican control of their state, the state of Florida”. “It's the political equivalent of a meteor strike that went all around the United States, blue states, red states, everything in between.” DeSantis predicted the losses would take many years to recover from; the same day Vice President JD Vance wrote that the reason for the party's losses was the war in Iran.
Washington · 4 November 2026
Vance, Trump and the war
Vance on X: “The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night. If you'd like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so.” Trump: “I think it's largely true, because [the Iran war] drove the gasoline up a little bit short-term”, and “if I had it to do again, I'd have to do it again”. About six in ten voters told the AP Voter Poll the US made the “wrong decision” in taking military action against Iran.
Congress · October–November 2026
Massie's articles and the Republican turn on Hegseth
Massie told CNN he would trigger a vote to impeach Hegseth when Congress returns, “and multiple GOP sources said they expect it to pass”. Massie: “It was completely avoidable if they'd just broken out of the cultish following of Donald Trump.” Trump has surveyed allies about Hegseth's performance but his confidence “hasn't yet wavered”. The draft resolution “has eight articles of impeachment”, alleging violations of the War Powers Resolution in Iran, illegal campaigns in Venezuela, Yemen, the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, disregard for civilian protection, and suppression of a senator's speech. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina said Hegseth is “not the right guy for the job”. The former congresswoman, who left the Republican Party in June: “If the GOP wants any chance in the future, it will have to kick Donald Trump out of the party.”
Congress · July–September 2026
War powers votes
The House passed a non-binding measure 214–208 with Republicans Thomas Massie, Tom Barrett, Warren Davidson and Brian Fitzpatrick; the Senate voted 47–49 against advancing a joint resolution. The resolution failed 49–50; Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul and Thom Tillis joined all but one Democrat in support.
The Iran war · 2026
Cost, prices and opinion
Pentagon estimate of $47.1 billion through 16 October. Gasoline up 45% since the start of the war to $4.32 a gallon, diesel up 66% to $6.26; CBO attributed more than 40% of second-quarter inflation to the war. “Forty-three percent said one reason for their votes was to express opposition to Trump.” Trump's disapproval rating at a record 60%; Democrats preferred for Congress 52%–45%.
UN Human Rights Council · September 2026
The fact-finding mission's findings
The mission's report to the Council's 63rd session; the hostilities began with United States and Israeli attacks on 28 February 2026. The mission found “reasonable grounds to believe the United States committed the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks” in strikes on a school in Minab and a sports complex in Lamerd. The findings are not binding. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly: “The only party in this conflict that has committed war crimes is the Iranian regime.”
Caribbean and eastern Pacific · 2025–2026
The strike campaign
“72 strikes; 243 killed (including 23 missing/presumed dead) and 3 known survivors.” Reported that a second strike on 2 September 2025 killed two survivors and that the commander was following an order from the Defense Secretary to leave no survivors. Hegseth called the report fake news. Karoline Leavitt: “Admiral (Frank) Bradley worked well within his authority and the law.” Republican Representative Mike Turner said the follow-up strike was “completely outside of anything that has been discussed with Congress”; Senators Roger Wicker and Jack Reed promised “vigorous oversight”. The Defense Secretary himself raised the prospect of International Criminal Court scrutiny. No ICC investigation has been announced.
UN and Europe · 2025–2026
What international bodies said
Volker Türk said the attacks killed people “in circumstances that find no justification in international law” and called for prompt, independent and transparent investigations. “None of the individuals on the targeted boats appeared to pose an imminent threat to the lives of others or otherwise justified the use of lethal armed force against them under international law.” Kaja Kallas: “International law is very clear on that. You can use force for two reasons: one is self-defence, the other one is the UN Security Council resolution.” Two sources said the UK stopped sharing intelligence because of concerns about the legality of the strikes; the British government said it does not comment on intelligence matters. The operations “have drawn criticism from international players and legal experts, who argue that they violate international law and human rights”. “These strikes and the resulting deaths raise serious concerns regarding the compliance of the United States of America with its human rights obligations under international law.” “Such attacks amount to serial extrajudicial killings in violation of the right to life.”
Las Cuevas · 14 October 2025
Chad Joseph and Rishi Samaroo
Relatives and neighbours believed Rishi Samaroo and Chad “Charpo” Joseph were on the boat struck on 14 October. The families allege Chad Joseph, 26, and Rishi Samaroo, 41, were returning to Las Cuevas when a missile struck their boat on 14 October 2025, killing four others too. The case, Burnley v. United States, is ongoing; these are the plaintiffs' allegations.
Port of Spain · 2025–2026
The Government's words
The Opposition Leader's statement: the previous US administration “has been a disaster for the American people and the world” and pushed “a woke, extreme left-wing agenda”. “It's time for the world to move on from the insanity and destructive, divisive policies of the Joe Biden democrat administration”; voters “are fed up with woke far left, nonsensical policies that are based on the use of identity politics, moral superiority and division”; “I firmly stand by my comments.” In Parliament: “there was no international law that was breached when we were taking out, people were being taken out in their boats … That is what we were doing, transnational crime. That is what we were fighting and we make no apology today.” “Today I make no apology for standing side by side, side by side, with our oldest trading partner, the leader of the free world in this hemisphere.” Rubio “acknowledged Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar's public support for U.S. military operations in the South Caribbean Sea”.
House of Representatives · 17 October 2026
“Keep your mouth out of US politics”
“And it is clear to me, Mr Speaker, that there is some degree of obsession, obsession with the U.S. government and particularly the Republican Party. I don't know why this obsession with the Republican Party and with the current president who sits squarely and strongly in the White House.” Sobers accused the Opposition of an “obsession with the Republican Party and with the current president who sits squarely and strongly in the White House”, said “we warned them time and time again, keep your mouth out of US politics”, and told Colm Imbert to “mind your business”. The official recording of the sitting at which the Foreign Minister spoke after Colm Imbert. The unrevised Hansard for the day had not been published when this article was filed.
3 November 2026
History made
Keisha Lance Bottoms “is projected to become the first Black governor of Georgia, the first female governor of Georgia and the first female Black governor in US history”; Deb Haaland the “first female Native American governor in US history”; Amy Acton the first woman elected governor of Ohio; Byron Donalds “the first Black governor of Florida”. Abdul El-Sayed defeated Mike Rogers “to become the chamber's first Muslim member”; Peggy Flanagan “is the first Native American woman to be elected to the US Senate”; Chris Pappas “the first out gay man to serve in the chamber”; Xavier Becerra California's first elected Latino governor; Aaron Ford and David Crowley the first Black governors of Nevada and Wisconsin; Gina Hinojosa Texas's first Latina governor. “He becomes the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate.” Describes Abdul El-Sayed as the son of Egyptian immigrants. Juliana Stratton's win means “for the first time in history, three Black women will serve simultaneously in the upper chamber”; “Andrews is the first woman ever elected to represent South Carolina in the Senate.” Mary Peltola, who is Yup'ik, “would become the first Alaska Native US senator if she wins. The race remains too close to call.” “Voters in 17 states elected a female governor on Tuesday, setting a new record, according to Rutgers University's Center for American Women and Politics.” “At least 23 (16D, 7R) women will serve in the U.S. Senate in 2027 (current record: 27, set in 2026).” Adam Hamawy defeated Gregg Mele in New Jersey's 12th District, “becoming the first Muslim elected to represent New Jersey in Congress”. Tlaib, re-elected in Michigan, “is the first Palestinian-American woman elected to the US Congress”. Kawas won New York State Senate District 12. “Romman will now be the first Palestinian-American to serve in Georgia's upper chamber.”
Port of Spain · 4 November 2026
A warning from the Government's own side
Former UNC MP and former UN representative Rodney Charles: “Congressional investigations may reveal our roles in Maduro's removal and in alleged extra-judicial killings in Caribbean waters”; “My advice? Get legal advice asap on how to deal with the ICC—if issues arise.”
Method
How the numbers are presented
Vote shares are NBC News projections read at 5 November 2026, 00:44 GMT; they are shares of all reported votes, not of the two leading candidates, and will change as counting finishes. Uncalled races are shown as uncalled, never as flips. Swing compares Trump's 2024 presidential margin, calculated from the FEC's official totals, with the 2026 Senate margin in the same state; the two contests had different candidates and electorates, so swing describes direction and scale, not a like-for-like comparison. House pickups shown by name are a selection reported by Roll Call, not the full list of 35. The UN fact-finding mission's findings are investigative, not judicial; no court has ruled on the conduct of the Iran war or the vessel strikes.
Extracts are summarised from the document of record, which is linked above. Where a passage is disputed, this newsroom will publish the correction alongside the extract.