Democrats expand majority as final US Senate seats remain uncalled

Democrats have secured control of Congress following the 2026 midterm elections, according to reports from CBS News and the Guardian. The Guardian reported that the Democratic Party has gained more than 40 new House seats, while final Senate contests in Mississippi and Alaska remain uncalled. CBS News and the Wall Street Journal both reported that vote counting is ongoing in Mississippi, where Democrat Scott Colom is attempting to unseat Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. [1][2][6][8]

In Mississippi, lawyers for Scott Colom warned election officials against departing from ordinary procedures, MSNBC reported. MSNBC stated that Colom, a district attorney whose federal judicial nomination was blocked by Hyde-Smith in 2023, is now within striking distance of taking her seat. NBC News reported that Colom has criticized Democrats for previously writing off Mississippi amid the close count, while the New York Times reported that his lead in the state has grown. [2][7]

The Democratic majority in the Senate will complicate President Donald Trump's judicial nominations before the new Congress takes office in January, the Washington Examiner reported. Trump got 234 federal judges confirmed during his first term, according to the Washington Examiner. MSNBC reported that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has reaffirmed that he will not retire immediately, leaving Trump unable to name a successor during the upcoming period. [3][4][5]

The 2026 United States Senate elections involved 33 regular contests for six-year terms beginning in January 2027 [10]. As FTMQ News reported earlier, late-deciding voters had favored Republicans in several key battleground races during the final days leading up to the election [13, 14]. [10][13][14]