How the Democratic party flipped the House and Senate, in 12 charts

The 2026 midterm race results saw a blue wave that secured a Democrat majority in both the Senate and House of Representatives. They flipped Senate seats in states the party hadn’t won in decades and took back a House that Republicans had controlled since 2023.

But what led to the turnaround that had voters turn out?

Democrats flipped key states in Senate race

The Democratic party needed a net gain of four seats to win back the Senate, and many in the party had seen 2026 as a testing ground. 

“What we’re seeing in the early parts of 2026 really puts Democrats in a good position, as long as we don’t screw it up,” Jen O’Malley Dillon, a Democratic campaign strategist, said at a Dartmouth political event in April. “It’s never been more complex to find a way to reach people. We are such a polarized country when it comes to our politics and, and, you know, people are tuning out in a lot of ways and for good reason—because we need to survive.”

In a stunning showing, Democrats flipped seven Senate seats in North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Ohio and Maine.

Several of the wins came in what were once considered Republican strongholds. Kansas hadn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate in almost 100 years, and a surge in turnout helped Democrats win across the South.

The Senate control means Democrats have an effective veto over President Donald Trump’s nominees for the rest of his term.

Democrats flipped the House, too

All 435 House seats were on the ballot, and Democrats went in holding 214. The party then went on to flip 25 Republican........

© Fortune