In the Nov. 3, 2026 midterm elections, Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress and made significant gains in Texas, where James Talarico defeated Attorney General Ken Paxton for U.S. Senate and Gina Hinojosa defeated Governor Greg Abbott. Democrats also flipped House seats in gerrymandered districts and deep-red regions nationwide.
Where
Statewide
When
Nov. 3, 2026
Sources
Reported by 4 outlets
Taxes and money
None stated in sources.
Who's involved
James TalaricoDemocratic candidate for U.S. Senate
Ken PaxtonRepublican Attorney General running for U.S. Senate
Gina HinojosaDemocratic candidate for Texas governor
Greg AbbottRepublican Governor running for reelection
Hakeem JeffriesHouse Democratic leader
Mike JohnsonHouse Speaker (Republican)
President Donald TrumpSitting president
The facts
Democrats won control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections.12Stated by 2 sources
James Talarico, Democrat, defeated Ken Paxton, Republican Attorney General, in the Texas Senate race.234Stated by 3 sources
Gina Hinojosa, Democrat, defeated Greg Abbott, Republican Governor, in the Texas gubernatorial race.234Stated by 3 sources
Democrats won control of the U.S. Senate in the 2026 midterm elections.24Stated by 2 sources
As of early morning Wednesday, Talarico held 53.9% of the vote to Paxton's 44.2%.23Stated by 2 sources
Hinojosa won by approximately 7% over Abbott as of 3 a.m. on Wednesday.23Stated by 2 sources
By 11 p.m. on Election Day, Democrats had won 143 House seats called and Republicans 86 of 293 races.1
House Speaker Mike Johnson acknowledged that Republicans lost the House in a speech from Shreveport.1
Who said what
These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.
House Speaker Mike Johnson To keep the House, Republicans had to defy more than a century of midterm history.1
Polling and election analysts Democratic gains were expected, but results showed wider margins and bigger upsets than predictions.24
Fox News polls In October, Talarico and Paxton were nearly tied, with Abbott leading Hinojosa.23
Voters nationwide They were dissatisfied with Trump and the economy.2
Where the sources disagree
Size of Democratic House majority "largest majority in more than a decade" per [1]; "largest House majority in nearly two decades" per [2, 4]
How they headlined it
The same event, as each outlet put it. Marked words appear in only one outlet's headline.
Democrats poised to gain control of House after GOP shellacking
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
State Rep. James Talarico defeated Attorney General Ken Paxton in Tuesday's U.S. Senate election. Talarico will officially assume office at noon on Jan. 3, 2027, when the 120th Congress convenes.
James Talarico, State representative, newly elected U.S. senator; Ken Paxton, Attorney General, defeated in election; John Cornyn, Republican incumbent senator, previously held the seat and 1 more
Democrat Taylor Rehmet, the incumbent, defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss on November 3, 2026, in a race for Texas Senate District 9. This was a rematch of an earlier special election runoff.
Taylor Rehmet, Incumbent Democratic state senator, candidate for Texas Senate District 9; Leigh Wambsganss, Republican candidate for Texas Senate District 9; Kelly Hannock, Former Republican state senator who held the seat and left to serve as interim comptroller and 1 more
Democrat Jared Williams defeated Republican Tony Tinderholt in the race for Tarrant County Commissioners Court Precinct 2. Williams' victory gives Democrats a 3-2 majority on the commissioners court, and Precinct 4 was on track to flip as well, creating a potential 4-1 Democrat majority.
$$227,234.80 for annual salary for Tarrant County Commissioners
Jared Williams, Democrat candidate, former Fort Worth City Council member; Tony Tinderholt, Republican candidate, Texas House member; Alisa Simmons, Democrat who won Tarrant County judge seat
Two Democratic nominees for Texas Senate addressed supporters on election night as results came in. Abdul El-Sayed spoke at one watch party, and James Talarico addressed supporters in Austin.
Abdul El-Sayed, Democratic Senate nominee; James Talarico, Democratic Senate nominee
Vicente Gonzalez, Democrat, won reelection to Congress from Texas' 34th District on Tuesday. Henry Cuellar, Democrat, won reelection from Texas' 28th District. Both overcame Republican challengers in traditionally Democratic South Texas districts that Republicans had redistricted to favor their party.
$$3 million for ad spending pulled from District 28
Vicente Gonzalez, Democratic incumbent, Texas Congressional District 34; Eric Flores, Republican challenger, Texas Congressional District 34; Henry Cuellar, Democratic incumbent, Texas Congressional District 28 and 2 more
The University of Houston student government held a "get out the vote" rally featuring Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa and promoted it on an official UHSGA Instagram page using official U of H branding. The university acknowledged an error was made, prompting questions about potential violations of state law barring public universities from using public resources to support or oppose candidates.
University of Houston student government, held event; Gina Hinojosa, Democratic gubernatorial candidate who appeared at event; Christian Collins, Texas Youth Summit representative and 1 more
Texas voters turned out for the 2026 midterm elections on November 3, 2026. More than 7.7 million votes were cast during early voting in Texas, setting a record. Turnout increases included more Latino and younger voters.
Noah Mata, Voter in Amarillo; Jerry Baldauf, Voter in Amarillo; Virginia Magallanes Dunn, Voter in Amarillo
On Tuesday night, crowds gathered in downtown San Antonio honking, cheering, and waving signs to celebrate Democratic victories in the governor and Senate races. Residents and tourists filled Commerce Street from City Hall to the River Walk, with vehicles circling blocks displaying campaign signs.
Gina Hinojosa, Democratic governor candidate who won election; James Talarico, Democratic Senate candidate who won election; Cassandra Chavez, San Antonio resident celebrating and 6 more