Democrats are projected to have won control of the US House of Representatives in Tuesday's midterm elections, ending the Republican majority and setting up divided government for the final two years of President Donald Trump's second term.

Newsmax projected a Democratic House majority at 9:09 pm Eastern Time on election night, while projections carried by Fox News and Bloomberg put Democrats at at least 223 seats — above the 218 needed for a majority — against 195 for Republicans, with a small number of districts, particularly in California and New York, still outstanding. Decision Desk HQ's live projection put the split at 236 Democrats to 199 Republicans. The result positions House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to become Speaker when the new Congress convenes in January.

A narrow majority overturned

Going into the election, Republicans held only a razor-thin House majority, so Democrats needed a net gain of just a handful of seats to flip the chamber. Early results suggested they cleared that bar comfortably, picking up Republican-held seats across the map. In western North Carolina, Democrat Jamie Ager captured the 11th Congressional District, flipping a Republican-held seat. In New Jersey, Democrat Rebecca Bennett, a former US Navy helicopter pilot, defeated Republican Representative Tom Kean in the 7th District, and in Florida, Democrat Pia Dandiya won the newly redrawn 22nd District.

The House result was the clearest verdict of the night. Control of the chamber matters enormously for the remainder of Mr. Trump's term: a Democratic House can block much of the president's legislative agenda, launch investigations and control the committees that set the terms of debate in Washington.

Senate still uncalled — but Democrats gain ground

Control of the Senate had not been projected as of the House call, but Democrats banked significant wins there too. In Georgia, Senator Jon Ossoff was re-elected, and former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms won the governor's race, becoming the first Black woman ever elected governor of a US state, according to projections. In North Carolina, Democrat Roy Cooper flipped a Senate seat, while Chris Pappas won in New Hampshire, becoming the first openly gay man elected to the Senate.

The night's biggest upset came in South Carolina, where Democrat Annie Andrews defeated Republican Senator Darline Graham, and in Texas, Democrat James Talarico led Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Senate race with most votes counted. Democrats needed a net gain of four Senate seats to erase the Republicans' 53-47 advantage.

What comes next

These are projections, not certified results: official counts will be confirmed by state election officials over the coming days and weeks, and close races — particularly in the west — may take days to resolve as mail-in ballots are counted. But the direction of the night was unmistakable. Voters in the first nationwide test since Mr. Trump returned to office in January 2025 delivered a House majority to the opposition, and with it, a check on presidential power for the remaining two years of his term.