Re-elected
Governor Josh Shapiro
Shapiro (D)
60.2%
Garrity (R)
38.5%
He beat Republican State Treasurer Stacy Garrity by about 1 million votes, with 94% of the expected vote counted.
The Blue Tsunami
A Historic Election
Democrats won control of the Senate and the House. Georgia elected the first Black woman governor in American history, and for the first time ever, five Black governors will serve at once. Michigan sent the first Muslim to the U.S. Senate. Red states like Texas, Kansas and South Carolina went blue for the first time in decades. Here is where we stand, in plain words.
Texas R→D
Kansas R→D
South Carolina R→D
North Carolina R→D
Maine R→D
Iowa R→D
Ohio R→D
Georgia governor R→D
Nevada governor R→D
Updated Wednesday, November 4, 2026 · 6:30 PM Eastern
Votes are still being counted. Numbers may change throughout the day.
Bottom line
The majority is ours. The count only decides how big it is.
Not every vote is counted yet, and some races have not been called. That does not change who is in charge. Democrats already have enough seats to control both chambers. The races still coming in only add to the size of the win.
Senate races called
94%
33 of 35 races called. Still waiting on Alaska, where Peltola leads by 0.3 points, and Mississippi, where Scott Colom (D) leads Cindy Hyde-Smith by only a few dozen votes.
House races called
90%
393 of 435 called. 42 races, about 10%, still counting.
Can it flip back?
No
Even if Republicans won every race still open, Democrats keep both majorities.
United States Senate
Democrats take the Senate
Seats today
54 to 44
Democrats to Republicans. 51 is a majority, so Democrats are 3 seats over the line.
Change from before
+7
Before the election, Republicans held 53 seats and Democrats 47. Democrats took 7 seats away.
The 7 Senate seats that flipped from Republican to Democrat
Texas
James Talarico
First Democrat Texas has elected to the Senate since 1988.
AH
Kansas
Adam Hamilton
Beat Sen. Roger Marshall. Kansas has not elected a Democratic senator since 1932.
South Carolina
Annie Andrews
A pediatrician. South Carolina's first Democratic senator elected this century.
North Carolina
Roy Cooper
The former governor beat Michael Whatley. First NC Democrat elected to the Senate since 2008.
Maine
Troy Jackson
Beat Susan Collins, a Republican senator since 1997.
Iowa
Josh Turek
Beat Ashley Hinson. A Paralympic gold medalist, now Iowa's senator.
Ohio
Sherrod Brown
Won back an Ohio Senate seat two years after losing his old one.
United States House
Democrats take the House
Before the election
218 to 212
Republicans had a thin majority. 218 seats is the line for control.
Democratic gains so far
+34 and counting
Democrats flipped 35 seats and lost 1, a net gain of 34 (NBC News count), with 42 races still to be called. The final number will grow.
Big House flips: Democrats won 3 of Iowa's 4 House seats. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick lost to Democrat Bob Harvie in Pennsylvania's 1st District, one of several Pennsylvania Republicans who lost. Democrats also flipped battleground seats in Texas and other states.
Governors
Five states get Democratic governors
For the first time in 16 years, Democrats will hold a majority of the nation's governorships. Republicans did not take a single governor's seat away from Democrats.
| State | Winner | Beat | Last Democrat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | Keisha Lance Bottoms | Rick Jackson | 24 years ago |
| Texas | Gina Hinojosa | Gov. Greg Abbott | Ann Richards, 1990 |
| Iowa | Rob Sand | Zach Lahn | 20 years ago |
| Ohio | Amy Acton | Vivek Ramaswamy | Elected 2006 |
| Nevada | Aaron Ford | Gov. Joe Lombardo | Nevada's first Black governor |
Texas
Gina Hinojosa
Unseated Greg Abbott in a state Trump won by nearly 14 points. Third woman ever to be governor of Texas.
Iowa
Rob Sand
Iowa's first Democratic governor in 20 years.
Ohio
Amy Acton
The doctor who led Ohio through COVID beat Vivek Ramaswamy.
Nevada
Aaron Ford
The state attorney general beat Gov. Joe Lombardo. Nevada's first Black governor.
Close to home
Philadelphia and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania went big for Democrats. Governor Josh Shapiro won a second term by more than 20 points, and Democrats took four Republican seats in Congress around the state, including Bucks County right next to Philadelphia.
The map: how Pennsylvania's counties voted
Each county is colored by who won it. Blue means Democrats won it, red means Republicans won it. The darker the color, the bigger the win. The big map is Tuesday's governor race. The small map is the 2024 presidential race, for comparison.
Democrat, big winDemocrat, closeRepublican, closeRepublican, big win
After · 2026 governor
Before · 2024 president
10 counties flipped from red to blue
Beaver R→DBerks R→DBucks R→DCumberland R→DErie R→DLancaster R→DLuzerne R→DMonroe R→DNorthampton R→DWashington R→D
Montour County shows grey because its results were not posted yet.
The map: who represents each part of Pennsylvania in Congress
Pennsylvania has 17 seats in the U.S. House. Before Tuesday, Republicans held 10 and Democrats held 7. After Tuesday, Democrats hold 11 and Republicans hold 6. Districts 1, 7, 8 and 10 flipped.
After · 2026
Before
Who runs what in Pennsylvania
| Branch | Who is in charge | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Governor | Josh Shapiro, Democrat | Re-elected Tuesday Won |
| Lieutenant Governor | Austin Davis, Democrat | Pennsylvania's first Black lieutenant governor |
| State House | Democrats | Kept it, and grew from 103 to at least 111 seats Won |
| State Senate | Democrats, 26 to 24 | Flipped three seats. First Democratic control since 1993 Flipped |
| State Supreme Court | Democrats, 5 of 7 justices | Three Democratic justices kept their seats in the 2025 vote |
| U.S. Senators | John Fetterman (D) and Dave McCormick (R) | Not on the ballot this year |
| Philadelphia city | Mayor Cherelle Parker (D), District Attorney Larry Krasner (D) | Not on the ballot this year |
Democrats now control the governor's office and both chambers in Harrisburg. That is called a trifecta, and it is the first one for Democrats in Pennsylvania since 1993, according to the Associated Press. Republicans used the State Senate to block much of Shapiro's agenda, so this is a big change.
Our members of Congress, in and around Philadelphia
| District | Area | Winner | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd | Northeast and parts of North Philadelphia | Brendan Boyle (D) | Won his sixth term Won |
| 3rd | Most of Philadelphia | Chris Rabb (D) | Replaces retiring Rep. Dwight Evans New |
| 1st | Bucks County | Bob Harvie (D) | Beat five-term Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick Flipped |
| 4th | Montgomery County | Madeleine Dean (D) | Re-elected Tuesday Won |
| 5th | Delaware County and South Philadelphia | Mary Gay Scanlon (D) | Re-elected Tuesday Won |
| 7th | Lehigh Valley | Bob Brooks (D) | Beat Rep. Ryan Mackenzie Flipped |
| 8th | Scranton area | Paige Cognetti (D) | Beat Rep. Rob Bresnahan Flipped |
| 10th | Harrisburg area | Janelle Stelson (D) | Beat Rep. Scott Perry Flipped |
Philadelphia · 3rd District
Chris Rabb
New to Congress. The first democratic socialist to represent Philadelphia in Congress.
Philadelphia · 2nd District
Brendan Boyle
Re-elected to a sixth term.
BH
Bucks County · 1st District
Bob Harvie
Took the seat Republicans had held for years, right next door to Philadelphia.
Harrisburg · 10th District
Janelle Stelson
A former TV news anchor. Beat Scott Perry, a leader of the House Freedom Caucus.
Scranton · 8th District
Paige Cognetti
The mayor of Scranton, now headed to Congress.
Harrisburg
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis
Pennsylvania's first Black lieutenant governor, serving beside Shapiro.
City Hall
Mayor Cherelle Parker
Philadelphia's first woman mayor. Not on the ballot this year.
Next door
Delaware
Democrats hold every top office in Delaware, and nothing changed hands on Tuesday. Delaware has only three counties: New Castle in the north, Kent in the middle and Sussex at the beaches. The big news is Sussex. It voted Republican for president in 2024, and on Tuesday it voted for Democrat Chris Coons.
Democrat, big winDemocrat, closeRepublican, closeRepublican, big win
After · 2026 U.S. Senate
Before · 2024 president
| County | 2026 Senate | 2024 president |
|---|---|---|
| New Castle | Coons 72.5%, Katz 27.5% | Harris 65.5%, Trump 32.9% |
| Kent | Coons 57.4%, Katz 42.6% | Harris 50.1%, Trump 48.1% |
| Sussex Flipped | Coons 51.4%, Katz 48.6% | Trump 54.9%, Harris 43.9% |
Who runs what in Delaware
| Office | Who | Status |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Senator | Chris Coons (D) | Re-elected Tuesday, fourth term Won |
| U.S. Senator | Lisa Blunt Rochester (D) | Next up in 2030 |
| U.S. House (one seat, whole state) | Sarah McBride (D) | Won a second term Won |
| Governor | Matt Meyer (D) | Next up in 2028 |
| Lieutenant Governor | Kyle Evans Gay (D) | Next up in 2028 |
| Attorney General | Kathy Jennings (D) | Re-elected Tuesday Won |
| State Senate (21 seats) | Democrats, 15 to 6 before Tuesday | Final count not posted Counting |
| State House (41 seats) | Democrats, 27 to 14 before Tuesday | Democrats flipped at least 2 more seats Gained |
| Courts | Judges picked by the governor | State law requires judges to be split between the parties |
How this election made history
The firsts
First in the nation
Keisha Lance Bottoms, Governor of Georgia
The former Atlanta mayor became the first Black woman ever elected governor of any state in America. Only three Black governors had ever been elected before her, and all of them were men.
Georgia had never elected a woman or a Black person to its top office. Stacey Abrams opened the door with her runs in 2018 and 2022. Bottoms walked through it.
First time in history
Five Black governors will serve at the same time
America has never had more than one elected Black governor at a time. In all of U.S. history, only three Black governors had ever been elected: Doug Wilder of Virginia, Deval Patrick of Massachusetts and Wes Moore of Maryland.
Starting in January, there will be five serving together, in Georgia, Maryland, Nevada, Wisconsin and Florida.
Georgia · Democrat
Keisha Lance Bottoms
First Black woman governor in U.S. history.
Maryland · Democrat
Wes Moore
Re-elected to a second term.
Nevada · Democrat
Aaron Ford
Nevada's first Black governor.
DC
Wisconsin · Democrat
David Crowley
The Milwaukee County Executive, now Wisconsin's first Black governor.
Florida · Republican
Byron Donalds
First Black Republican ever elected governor in the U.S.
First in the Senate
Abdul El-Sayed, U.S. Senator from Michigan
A doctor and former Detroit health director, El-Sayed beat former Congressman Mike Rogers for the seat left open by retiring Sen. Gary Peters. He will be the first Muslim ever to serve in the United States Senate.
He won his August primary by about one point. Last night he won the whole state. His words to supporters: "Michigan, we did it."
New Mexico
Deb Haaland
First Native American woman elected governor of a state.
Minnesota
Peggy Flanagan
First Native American woman elected to the U.S. Senate.
Alaska
Mary Peltola
Still countingCould become the first Alaska Native U.S. senator.
When the new Congress takes over
Sunday, January 3, 2027 · noon
This is the date the Constitution sets. Until then, Republicans still run both chambers.
What winning the House and Senate means
10 things the new Congress can do
Think of Congress as the people who hold the checkbook and write the rules. The President drives the car, but Congress decides how much gas goes in the tank and which roads get built. Starting January 3, Democrats hold the checkbook.
- Control the money.
Every dollar the government spends has to pass Congress. Democrats can refuse to pay for programs they think hurt people and put money back into ones that were cut.
- Investigate.
House committees can call witnesses, demand documents and hold public hearings. The top Democrat on House Oversight already told officials to "lawyer up."
- Decide on judges.
The Senate must approve every federal judge and every Supreme Court pick. With 54 seats, Democrats can say no.
- Decide on the President's team.
Cabinet secretaries, agency heads and ambassadors all need Senate approval. No more automatic yes votes.
- Stop new Republican laws.
Nothing becomes law without passing both chambers. Bills Democrats oppose simply do not move.
- Work to restore health care.
Democrats can push bills and budget deals to bring back health coverage and Medicaid money cut in the last two years.
- Protect Social Security and Medicare.
Any cut to these programs has to go through Congress. Democrats can block it.
- Vote on war.
The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war. Democrats can vote to limit military strikes on Iran without Congress's approval.
- Challenge tariffs and emergency orders.
Congress can vote to end the emergency declarations behind many tariffs that raised prices at the store.
- Put bills on the President's desk.
Bills to lower costs and protect voting rights can be passed and sent to the White House. If he says no, voters see it before 2028.
The warning
"Lawyer up"
Hours after the results came in, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee sent a two-word message to the administration and its allies: "Lawyer up." Law firms in Washington had already been getting clients ready for this moment.
What the new House can do
- Subpoena documents, emails and records.
- Call officials to testify under oath, in public.
- Hold people in contempt of Congress if they refuse to show up.
- Send evidence of crimes to prosecutors.
- Impeach officials with a simple majority vote.
Why lawyers matter
- Lying to Congress is a federal crime.
- Anything said under oath goes on the public record.
- State attorneys general can bring their own cases under state law.
The honest picture: Congress investigates. It does not put people on trial or send them to jail. That is the job of prosecutors and courts. Federal prosecutors work for the Justice Department, which the President controls until January 2029. Removing an official after impeachment also takes 67 senators. What changes on January 3 is that the questions get asked, under oath and in public, and the answers become part of the record.
After January 3, 2027
How much power the President keeps
He is still President until January 2029. What changes is that he can no longer get new laws, new money or new judges without Democrats.
He still can
- Veto bills. Overriding a veto takes two-thirds of both chambers: 67 senators and 290 House members. Democrats do not have that many.
- Sign executive orders.
- Command the military.
- Issue pardons.
- Run the agencies day to day.
He no longer can
- Pass laws Democrats oppose.
- Get money for his plans without their votes.
- Get judges or cabinet picks approved on his own.
- Avoid hearings and subpoenas from the House.
The honest picture: Democrats cannot erase everything on day one, because the President can veto. But from January 3, nothing new happens in Washington without them. That is the power of holding the House and the Senate.
Sources: CBS News · CNBC · Newsweek · NBC News · The Hill · U.S. News / Reuters · NPR · Axios · Jenner & Block on CNN · Washington Post · Stateline · Spotlight PA · NBC Pennsylvania results · 6abc · Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Results are projections from election night and may change as counting finishes.
Illustrations made with Google Gemini. County and district maps drawn from U.S. Census boundary files, with results from NBC News (4 Nov 2026, about 95% counted) and 2024 official results. Exact numbers are in the text beside each one.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: El-Sayed, Conlan Houston (CC BY-SA 4.0); Flanagan, Travellers & Tinkers (CC BY-SA 4.0); Talarico, Antonioaesparza (CC BY-SA 4.0); Cooper, NetwonsBucket (CC BY-SA 4.0); Jackson, ArenLeBrun (CC0); Andrews, Stimpus1 (CC0); Sand, Rob Sand for Governor (CC0); Hinojosa, RRC1701 (CC0); Acton, Patricio101 (CC0); Shapiro, Maryland GovPics (CC BY 2.0); Moore, Maryland State Government (CC BY-SA 4.0); Ford, U.S. Mission Geneva (public domain); Parker, Jared Piper/PHL Council (CC BY 2.0); Davis, Governor Tom Wolf (CC BY 2.0); Cognetti, U.S. Dept. of Labor (CC BY 2.0); Stelson, James Newton (CC BY-SA 4.0); Rabb, Yolanda Cheers (CC0); Boyle, U.S. House (public domain); Turek, Iowa General Assembly; Bottoms, Haaland, Donalds, Peltola and Brown, U.S. government (public domain).