Democrats win Congress. Johnson quits the leadership race.
The projected Democratic sweep changes the next Congress. Mike Johnson says he won’t seek another Republican leadership job, but he has not resigned his House seat.
Where it stands
AP and Reuters project Democratic control of both chambers; Speaker Mike Johnson says he will leave House Republican leadership but has not resigned his House seat; state certifications and the January transfer of control remain pending.
Sources reviewed: Nov 4, 2026 · 1:00 PM EST
Democrats are projected to control both the House and Senate, according to AP and Reuters. The result would end unified Republican control when the new Congress convenes.
Mike Johnson’s next move is already clearer: he told Republican colleagues he would not seek a leadership position in the next Congress. He won reelection to his House seat and is expected to remain as a rank-and-file member, AP reported.
That opens a Republican leadership contest. Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan were reported as candidates. Johnson’s departure from leadership does not mean he has resigned from Congress.
The chamber calls are media projections. State canvasses and certifications are separate steps, and the transfer of congressional control comes with the new Congress in January. Democratic oversight powers would change; Trump’s veto power would remain.
Control of Congress determines who runs committees and oversight. Johnson’s decision concerns who leads House Republicans after that shift, not whether his seat has become vacant.
What to watch next
Follow state certification, the Republican leadership contest and the new Congress in January. Do not confuse a projected election result with a completed transfer of power.
The response.
Johnson's letter to colleagues, as quoted by Axios, cited the toll that leadership had taken on his family and expressed pride in Republicans' work with Trump; it did not mention the election defeat or say whether he would remain in Congress. The linked DocumentCloud copy was inaccessible to the Ledger, so this update relies on Axios's excerpts plus AP and Reuters reporting. Trump had asked voters to behave as if he were on the ballot and campaigned for Republican candidates. AP reported that he acknowledged the result while denying it was a personal defeat and blaming candidates; Reuters reported that he acknowledged the Iran war played a role. When the new Congress convenes, Democrats can run committees and oversight in both chambers, while legislation remains subject to Trump's veto and constitutional override thresholds.
Dates & scope
Source publication: Nov 4, 2026 · 1:01 AM EST
Event or conduct: 2026-11-03.
Full chronology and review notes
The midterm election occurred November 3. The Associated Press issued its Senate-control alert at 10:41 p.m. EST November 3, then updated its national results report early November 4 after projecting Democratic House control; AP's syndicated update was timestamped 1:16 a.m. EST. Reuters also published its both-chambers result November 4. Reuters reported Johnson's decision at 10:23 a.m. EST November 4 and updated its report at 11:48 a.m.; AP published its report the same day. Axios later published excerpts and a DocumentCloud link to Johnson's letter. The Ledger first published the Senate-control article at 1:01 a.m. EST, reviewed the superseding House-and-Senate reporting at 3:01 a.m., and reviewed Johnson's leadership decision at 1:00 p.m. EST November 4. The election, individual race calls, chamber-control projections, Johnson's leadership decision, news publication, Ledger publication, source review and later state certifications are distinct.
This is a dated report. The source-review time records when the linked sources were checked; it is not a live update.
Coverage is non-exhaustive. Our source-review standards →
Open the original record.
- Associated Press: Democrats win House and Senate, sweeping rebuke to Trump ↗
Updated November 4 projection that Democrats won both chambers, with reporting on race calls, Trump's response, voter concerns and governing consequences
- Reuters: Democrats seize Congress in sweeping midterm repudiation of Trump ↗
November 4 independent projection of Democratic House and Senate control, voter concerns and Trump's response
- Associated Press: Election largely peaceful as Democrats win both chambers of Congress ↗
November 4 follow-up confirming AP's both-chambers result and reporting Trump's acknowledgement of the outcome
- Associated Press: Speaker Johnson won't seek reelection as House Republican leader after party's midterm wipeout ↗
November 4 report, based on people familiar with Johnson's decision, that he will not seek the minority-leader post; AP says he won reelection to the House and is expected to remain as a rank-and-file member
- Reuters via Investing.com: US House Speaker Johnson will not seek minority leadership post ↗
November 4 independent report that Johnson announced his decision to staff; also reports Jim Jordan's candidacy and Steve Scalise's expected bid
- Axios: Read Mike Johnson's departing message ↗
November 4 report quoting Johnson's letter to colleagues and linking a DocumentCloud copy; the linked primary copy returned a 403 to the Ledger, so the article uses Axios's excerpts rather than claiming an independent review of the full letter
- Iowa Secretary of State: Election Results and Statistics ↗
Primary state election-results portal; final state canvass and certification remain distinct from AP's projection
- Associated Press: Democrat Josh Turek wins election to the U.S. Senate from Iowa as Democrats win U.S. Senate ↗
Iowa race projection identifying Turek's victory as the call that secured Senate control and documenting Hinson's Trump alliance
Correction. Removed an incorrect reference to Johnson winning an eighth House term. The AP report says he won reelection and is expected to remain in the House as a rank-and-file member. His leadership decision is not a resignation from Congress. Corrected November 5, 2026.
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