Americans are voting in the 2026 midterm elections, a contest that will determine which party controls Congress for the final two years of President Donald Trump’s term. Trump is not on the ballot, but the results are widely seen as a test of his administration and its direction for the country.
All 435 voting seats in the House of Representatives are being contested. Republicans are defending a narrow majority, and Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control. In the Senate, 35 seats are at stake: 33 in regular elections and two in special elections in Florida and Ohio. Republicans currently hold 53 seats, while Democrats and independents who caucus with them hold 47; Democrats need to gain four seats for a majority.
Voters are also choosing 39 governors, as well as state legislators and local officials. The outcomes could influence policy on issues including education, reproductive rights, taxes and election administration.
Key Senate contests include races in Michigan, Georgia, Maine, Ohio and Texas. In Texas, Democrat James Talarico is challenging Republican Ken Paxton; no Democrat has won a statewide election there since 1994. Other closely watched contests in Kansas, Iowa, North Carolina and New Hampshire could also affect control of the chamber.
The cost of living and the economy have featured prominently in the campaign. The source report links voter concerns to inflation, the expense of everyday essentials and the effects of Trump’s tariffs, as well as a war involving the United States and Israel against Iran that it says has contributed to an energy crisis. Immigration enforcement, Medicaid funding, abortion rights and the expansion of presidential power have also been contentious issues.
Midterm elections have often cost the president’s party seats in the House: it has lost seats in 18 of the past 20 contests since 1946. The results will show whether that pattern holds and whether Republicans retain their congressional majorities.
Sources: The Guardian World.