Democratic Party Votes in US Midterm Elections 2026 totaled about 65.4 million House votes, a 56.1% national vote share, against 42.5% for Republicans in the unofficial count as of November 10, 2026. The 13.6-point margin is the widest for either party since 1974 and carried Democrats to 259 called House seats.
Democratic Party Votes in US Midterm Elections 2026 – Introduction
Democratic Party Votes in US Midterm Elections reached a modern high on November 3, 2026. Democratic House candidates collected about 65.4 million votes and a 56.1% national share. Republican candidates took 42.5%. The 13.6-point gap is the widest House vote margin for either party since 1974. Counting continues in California and other mail-heavy states, so every figure in this report is preliminary and unofficial.
This report breaks the numbers down. It ranks states by Democratic votes, lists the biggest Democratic margins, tracks battleground results, compares the seat total with past wave years, and tests the final polls against the count. Each section carries a chart, a data table, and a plain reading of every metric. Vote totals come from district-level tallies. Seat counts come from news-organization calls.
Interesting Facts: US Democratic Party Votes in Midterm Elections 2026
2026 U.S. House Vote Share (each █ = 2%)
Democratic ████████████████████████████ 56.1%
Republican █████████████████████ 42.5%
Other ▌ 1.4%
| Interesting Fact | 2026 Data |
|---|---|
| Election Day | November 3, 2026 |
| Democratic House votes | About 65.4 million (unofficial) |
| Democratic vote share | 56.1% |
| Republican vote share | 42.5% |
| Democratic margin | D+13.6 points |
| House seats called for Democrats | 259 of 435 |
| Democratic seats before the election | 215 |
| Midterm ballots counted | 124.33 million |
| Turnout of eligible voters | 49.42% |
Source: Popular Vote Analytics unofficial district count (November 10, 2026); University of Florida Election Lab (November 6, 2026 estimate).
The vote count shows a lopsided result. Democrats took 56.1% of House votes, Republicans 42.5%, and third-party and write-in candidates the remaining 1.4%. The D+13.6 margin is the largest since 1974. Democrats called 259 of 435 seats, up from 215 at the start of the cycle. Republicans hold 172 called seats. Two seats remain uncalled, and two Louisiana seats go to a December 12 runoff.
Turnout set the stage. The University of Florida Election Lab counted 124.33 million ballots, a midterm record, for a 49.42% turnout rate among eligible voters. Only 2018, at 50.05%, ranks higher since 1914. High turnout and a double-digit Democratic margin arrived together, and that pairing drove the US Democratic Party Votes in Midterm Elections total past 65 million.
US Democratic Party Votes in Midterm Elections 2026 vs 2022 and 2018: House Vote Share History
Democratic House Vote Share (each █ = 2%)
2026 ████████████████████████████ 56.1%
2018 ███████████████████████████ 53.4%
2006 ██████████████████████████ 52.0%
2022 ████████████████████████ 47.8%
2014 ███████████████████████ 45.4%
2010 ██████████████████████ 44.8%
| Year | Democratic Share | Republican Share | Margin | Shift in President’s Party Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 56.1% | 42.5% | D+13.6 | -16.3 |
| 2022 | 47.8% | 50.6% | R+2.8 | -5.9 |
| 2018 | 53.4% | 44.7% | D+8.7 | -9.8 |
| 2014 | 45.4% | 50.7% | R+5.3 | -6.6 |
| 2010 | 44.8% | 51.4% | R+6.6 | -17.2 |
| 2006 | 52.0% | 44.1% | D+7.9 | -10.5 |
| 1974 | 57.1% | 40.5% | D+16.6 | -11.4 |
Source: Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives (FEC for 2014), compiled by Popular Vote Analytics; 2026 is an unofficial count as of November 10, 2026.
The 2026 Democratic share of 56.1% beats 2018 by 2.7 points and 2022 by 8.3 points. Republicans fell to 42.5%, down from 50.6% in 2022. The margin of D+13.6 compares with D+8.7 in 2018 and D+7.9 in 2006. Only 1974, at D+16.6, produced a wider Democratic House margin in this table.
The last column measures the swing against the president’s party. In 2026 Republicans lost 16.3 points of margin compared with the previous House election. That swing trails only 2010, when Democrats lost 17.2 points under Barack Obama. Republicans in 2022 lost just 5.9 points, which shows how much bigger the US Democratic Party Votes in Midterm Elections shift was this year.
Which States Gave Democrats the Most House Votes in 2026? Top 10 State Rankings
Democratic House Votes by State (each █ = 250,000 votes)
California ███████████████████████████████ 7.65M
Texas █████████████████████ 5.15M
Florida ███████████████ 3.86M
New York ███████████████ 3.69M
Pennsylvania ███████████ 2.80M
Michigan ██████████ 2.53M
Illinois ██████████ 2.53M
North Carolina ██████████ 2.39M
Georgia █████████ 2.34M
Ohio █████████ 2.32M
| Rank | State | Democratic Votes | Republican Votes | Margin | Democratic Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 7,645,172 | 3,232,126 | D+40.3 | 48 |
| 2 | Texas | 5,145,910 | 4,590,522 | D+5.7 | 14 |
| 3 | Florida | 3,862,368 | 4,038,327 | R+2.2 | 8 |
| 4 | New York | 3,693,302 | 2,232,687 | D+24.5 | 20 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 2,796,981 | 2,140,392 | D+13.3 | 11 |
| 6 | Michigan | 2,532,681 | 2,108,426 | D+8.9 | 9 |
| 7 | Illinois | 2,529,252 | 1,516,116 | D+24.9 | 14 |
| 8 | North Carolina | 2,385,603 | 1,752,606 | D+15.1 | 10 |
| 9 | Georgia | 2,339,600 | 1,824,263 | D+12.4 | 5 |
| 10 | Ohio | 2,318,450 | 2,178,153 | D+3.1 | 8 |
Source: Popular Vote Analytics unofficial district-level count built from state election office reports (November 10, 2026, 12:13 p.m. ET); not certified.
California leads with 7,645,172 Democratic votes, about 11.8% of the national Democratic total of 64.9 million in this midday snapshot. Texas follows with 5,145,910 votes and a lead of 555,388 over Republicans. Florida ranks third with 3,862,368 votes but trails Republicans by 175,959. New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois, North Carolina, Georgia, and Ohio complete the list. Together the ten states supplied 35.2 million votes, or 54.3% of the Democratic total.
The margin column shows where those votes turned into dominance. Illinois and New York both finished near D+25. Ohio, at D+3.1, and Texas, at D+5.7, finished close to even. The seats column sums to 147 Democratic seats, or 56.8% of the 259 called. Texas won 5.15 million votes yet only 14 seats, a gap that reflects where district lines fall.
Biggest Democratic Winning Margins by State in the 2026 House Elections
Democratic Margin in Points (each █ = 2 points)
Massachusetts ██████████████████████████ D+51.9
Hawaii ████████████████████ D+40.5
California ████████████████████ D+40.3
Maryland ███████████████████ D+38.4
Vermont █████████████████ D+34.4
Rhode Island ████████████████ D+31.8
Delaware ██████████████ D+28.7
New Jersey ██████████████ D+27.6
Washington ██████████████ D+27.0
Connecticut █████████████ D+26.6
| Rank | State | Democratic Votes | Republican Votes | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 1,723,193 | 507,929 | D+51.9 |
| 2 | Hawaii | 255,550 | 105,424 | D+40.5 |
| 3 | California | 7,645,172 | 3,232,126 | D+40.3 |
| 4 | Maryland | 1,421,853 | 625,643 | D+38.4 |
| 5 | Vermont | 198,712 | 94,031 | D+34.4 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | 232,225 | 118,449 | D+31.8 |
| 7 | Delaware | 243,467 | 134,966 | D+28.7 |
| 8 | New Jersey | 1,792,832 | 1,006,085 | D+27.6 |
| 9 | Washington | 1,930,705 | 1,106,916 | D+27.0 |
| 10 | Connecticut | 798,327 | 459,779 | D+26.6 |
Source: Popular Vote Analytics unofficial district-level count (November 10, 2026, 12:13 p.m. ET); margins are Democratic minus Republican share of all votes.
Massachusetts posted the widest margin at D+51.9. Democrats took 1,723,193 votes there against 507,929 for Republicans, a ratio of about 3.4 to 1. Hawaii and California followed at D+40.5 and D+40.3. Maryland reached D+38.4, and Vermont D+34.4. Rhode Island, Delaware, New Jersey, Washington, and Connecticut all cleared D+26.
Raw votes matter as much as percentages. Hawaii’s D+40.5 came from just 255,550 Democratic votes. California’s D+40.3 came from 7,645,172. California alone netted 4,413,046 votes over Republicans, about 28.3% of the national Democratic net of 15,569,560 votes. Small states pad the margin column. California moves the national total, which is why US Democratic Party Votes in Midterm Elections depend so heavily on the Golden State’s late mail ballots.
Democratic Votes in Battleground and Republican-Leaning States in 2026 House Elections
Democratic Margin in Points (each █ = 1 point)
North Carolina ███████████████ D+15.1
Wisconsin ██████████████ D+13.5
Pennsylvania █████████████ D+13.3
Georgia ████████████ D+12.4
Arizona ███████████ D+10.8
Michigan █████████ D+8.9
Texas ██████ D+5.7
Indiana ████ D+3.6
Ohio ███ D+3.1
Iowa █ D+1.2
| State | Democratic Votes | Republican Votes | Margin | Seats (D-R) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 2,385,603 | 1,752,606 | D+15.1 | 10-3 |
| Wisconsin | 1,454,885 | 1,106,268 | D+13.5 | 4-4 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,796,981 | 2,140,392 | D+13.3 | 11-6 |
| Georgia | 2,339,600 | 1,824,263 | D+12.4 | 5-9 |
| Arizona | 1,383,445 | 1,109,338 | D+10.8 | 5-4 |
| Michigan | 2,532,681 | 2,108,426 | D+8.9 | 9-4 |
| Texas | 5,145,910 | 4,590,522 | D+5.7 | 14-24 |
| Indiana | 995,141 | 925,165 | D+3.6 | 3-6 |
| Ohio | 2,318,450 | 2,178,153 | D+3.1 | 8-7 |
| Iowa | 667,037 | 650,479 | D+1.2 | 3-1 |
Source: Popular Vote Analytics unofficial district-level count (November 10, 2026, 12:13 p.m. ET); one North Carolina seat remains uncalled.
Democrats won the House vote in all ten states. North Carolina led at D+15.1, with 2,385,603 votes against 1,752,606. Wisconsin and Pennsylvania landed at D+13.5 and D+13.3. Pennsylvania produced the biggest net gain of the group, 656,589 votes. Georgia, Arizona, and Michigan finished between D+8.9 and D+12.4. Those results show the US Democratic Party Votes in Midterm Elections surge reached every major swing state.
The red-leaning states tell a second story. Democrats carried Texas by 555,388 votes, Indiana by 69,976, Ohio by 140,297, and Iowa by only 16,558. Seats did not always follow. Texas split 14-24 and Indiana 3-6 against the vote, and Georgia split 5-9. Wisconsin stayed even at 4-4. Ohio went 8-7 and Iowa 3-1 for Democrats. In several states, the vote margin outran the seat margin.
How Many House Seats Did Democrats Win in the 2026 Midterm Elections?
Democratic House Seats (each █ = 5 seats)
2026 (called) ████████████████████████████████████████████████████ 259
2018 ███████████████████████████████████████████████ 235
2006 ███████████████████████████████████████████████ 233
Start of 2026 ███████████████████████████████████████████ 215
| Election | Democratic Seats | Seat Gain | Democratic Vote Share | Seat Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (called) | 259 | +44 | 56.1% | 59.5% |
| 2018 | 235 | +41 | 53.4% | 54.0% |
| 2006 | 233 | +31 | 52.0% | 53.6% |
Source: Popular Vote Analytics seat calls (November 10, 2026); CNN projections; Clerk of the U.S. House vote data. Two seats are uncalled and two Louisiana seats go to a December 12 runoff.
Democrats hold 259 called seats, a gain of 44 from the 215 they held before the election. The 2018 wave added 41 seats and the 2006 wave added 31. The 2008 election produced 257 Democratic seats, so 2026 now tops that mark. CNN noted the new majority is larger than any Republican House majority since the Great Depression. Final totals can still move by a few seats.
Seat share and vote share tell different stories. Democrats hold 59.5% of the House on 56.1% of the vote, a gap of 3.4 points. In 2018 the gap was 0.6 points, and in 2006 it was 1.6 points. A wider gap means the US Democratic Party Votes in Midterm Elections count converted into extra seats more efficiently this cycle, mostly through wins in closely drawn districts.
2026 House Vote Results vs Polls: How Far Off Was the Democratic Forecast?
Democratic Margin in Points (each █ = 1 point)
Final poll average ████████ D+8.0
2026 count ██████████████ D+13.6
| Measure | Pre-Election Figure | 2026 Result | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generic ballot margin | D+8.0 | D+13.6 | 5.6 points |
| Democratic share, all votes | 50.8% | 56.1% | 5.3 points |
| Republican share, all votes | 42.8% | 42.5% | 0.3 points |
| Democratic two-party share | 54.1% (Harvard ElectIt) | 56.9% (calculated) | 2.8 points |
Source: ElectionsUSA generic ballot average of 119 polls (ended November 2, 2026); Harvard University ElectIt forecast; Popular Vote Analytics unofficial count (November 10, 2026).
The final average of 119 polls put Democrats ahead by 8.0 points, 50.8% to 42.8%. The count shows 56.1% to 42.5%, a 13.6-point lead. The polls missed the margin by 5.6 points. Nearly all of that miss sits on the Democratic side. The Democratic share rose 5.3 points above the poll average, while the Republican share slipped just 0.3 points.
The Harvard ElectIt model expected a Democratic two-party share of 54.1%. The count gives 56.9%, calculated as 56.1 divided by the sum of 56.1 and 42.5. That 2.8-point gap is smaller than the generic ballot miss. Late-deciding voters and strong early turnout, with more than 57 million early ballots before Election Day, helped push US Democratic Party Votes in Midterm Elections beyond most forecasts.
Where Did Democrats Come Closest in Republican-Won States in the 2026 House Elections?
Republican Lead in Points (each █ = 0.5 point)
Utah █ R+0.4
Missouri █ R+0.7
Kansas ████ R+2.1
Florida ████ R+2.2
South Carolina █████ R+2.6
Mississippi ██████████ R+4.9
Alabama ██████████████████ R+9.0
| State | Democratic Votes | Republican Votes | Republican Lead (Votes) | Margin | Seats (D-R) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | 474,197 | 478,387 | 4,190 | R+0.4 | 1-3 |
| Missouri | 1,008,788 | 1,024,062 | 15,274 | R+0.7 | 3-5 |
| Kansas | 522,296 | 545,212 | 22,916 | R+2.1 | 1-3 |
| Florida | 3,862,368 | 4,038,327 | 175,959 | R+2.2 | 8-20 |
| South Carolina | 976,888 | 1,030,157 | 53,269 | R+2.6 | 2-5 |
| Mississippi | 442,524 | 489,018 | 46,494 | R+4.9 | 1-3 |
| Alabama | 763,449 | 914,959 | 151,510 | R+9.0 | 2-5 |
Source: Popular Vote Analytics unofficial district-level count (November 10, 2026, 12:13 p.m. ET); Republican lead is Republican votes minus Democratic votes.
Utah was the closest state. Democrats collected 474,197 votes to 478,387 for Republicans, a gap of just 4,190 votes, or R+0.4. Missouri came next at 15,274 votes, R+0.7. Kansas trailed by 22,916 votes. Florida posted the largest raw gap, 175,959 votes, but only R+2.2 because about 7.9 million votes went to the two parties. Alabama’s R+9.0 marks the outer edge of this group.
The seats column shows how hard these states are to flip. Democrats won 18 of the 62 seats in these seven states, or 29.0%. They took 48.6% of the two-party vote across the group. That gap of nearly 20 points explains why narrow vote losses still leave Republicans with most seats. For the US Democratic Party Votes in Midterm Elections story, these seven states hold the clearest room for future gains.
2026 Midterm Turnout and Early Votes: How Turnout Boosted Democratic House Votes
Midterm Turnout Rate (each █ = 2%)
2018 █████████████████████████ 50.05%
2026 █████████████████████████ 49.42%
2022 ███████████████████████ 46.1%
| Measure | 2022 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turnout rate | 46.1% | 49.42% | +3.32 points |
| Total ballots counted | 111.5 million | 124.33 million | +12.83 million |
| Early ballots before Election Day | 45.9 million | 57 million+ | +11.1 million+ |
| House votes counted | 107.65 million | 116 million+ | +8.35 million+ |
Source: University of Florida Election Lab (November 6, 2026 estimate); Cook Political Report House vote tracker (November 10, 2026); ABC News early vote count.
Turnout rose 3.32 points, from 46.1% in 2022 to 49.42% in 2026. Only 2018, at 50.05%, ran higher among midterms since 1914. The University of Florida Election Lab counted 124.33 million ballots, 12.83 million more than the 111.5 million in 2022. More voters meant a bigger pool for Democratic candidates to win.
Early voting set the pace. More than 57 million ballots arrived before Election Day, at least 11.1 million above 2022. Democrats made up about 44% of early voters against 31% for Republicans, according to the Election Lab. The Cook Political Report counted more than 116 million House votes, at least 8.35 million above 2022. Democrats converted that surge into 56.1% of the House vote.
FAQ: US Democratic Party Votes in Midterm Elections 2026
How many votes did Democrats get in the 2026 midterm elections?
Democratic House candidates received about 65.4 million votes in the unofficial count as of November 10, 2026. Counting continues, so the total will keep rising as California and other states finish mail ballots.
What was the Democratic vote share in the 2026 House elections?
Democrats won 56.1% of the national House vote. Republicans won 42.5%, and other candidates took 1.4%. The margin stands at D+13.6.
How many House seats did Democrats win in 2026?
Democrats hold 259 called seats out of 435. Republicans hold 172. Two seats are uncalled, and two Louisiana seats go to a December 12 runoff.
Which state gave Democrats the most House votes in 2026?
California gave Democrats the most House votes with 7,645,172. Texas ranks second with 5,145,910, and Florida third with 3,862,368.
Which state had the biggest Democratic margin in 2026?
Massachusetts had the widest margin at D+51.9. Hawaii followed at D+40.5, then California at D+40.3.
Did Democrats win the House vote in Texas in 2026?
Yes. Democrats won 5,145,910 Texas House votes to 4,590,522 for Republicans, a margin of D+5.7. Republicans still won 24 of the state’s 38 seats.
How does the 2026 Democratic House vote compare with 2018?
The 2026 Democratic share of 56.1% beats the 2018 share of 53.4% by 2.7 points. The 2026 margin of D+13.6 beats the 2018 margin of D+8.7 by 4.9 points.
Where did Republicans win by the smallest margins in 2026?
Republicans won Utah by 0.4 points and Missouri by 0.7 points. Utah’s gap was just 4,190 votes, and Missouri’s was 15,274. Kansas and Florida followed at R+2.1 and R+2.2.
Are the 2026 midterm vote totals official?
No. These totals are unofficial counts compiled from state and news-organization tallies. States must still certify results, so numbers will change.
What was voter turnout in the 2026 midterm elections?
The University of Florida Election Lab counted 124.33 million ballots, a midterm record, for 49.42% turnout. That ranks second since 1914, behind 2018 at 50.05%.
How big was the Democratic margin compared with history?
The D+13.6 margin is the widest for either party since 1974, when Democrats won by D+16.6. It beats the 2018 margin of D+8.7 and the 2006 margin of D+7.9.
Did Democrats also win the Senate in 2026?
The Associated Press showed Democrats holding 54 Senate seats to 44 for Republicans as of November 7, with two races still undecided at that time.
Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.