Self-guided module · about 50 to 60 minutes
Midterms 2026: Who holds power now?
On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, Americans voted for Congress, governors, state lawmakers, judges, and local boards. In this module you will figure out what changed, at every level, from Washington down to New Hanover County.
Results as of Wednesday morning, Nov. 4, 2026 · unofficial
Who controls each part of government? Flip between before and after. Every row is something you will explore in this module.
Election night results are unofficial. Counties finish counting provisional and mail ballots and certify results at the canvass (Nov. 13 in NC counties, Nov. 24 for the state). A few races here could still change. That is normal, and it is part of what you are learning.
Your answers save in this browser as you go. At the end you will copy or download them and turn them in on Canvas.
How this works
- Read each module and use the interactive charts. Tap and toggle everything.
- Check-ins give you one try. Pick an answer, say how sure you are, and lock it in. You cannot change it after, and your teacher sees every answer, so think first. Some ask you to predict before you see the data, read a number off a chart, or sort items.
- Write short answers in the boxes. Use specific numbers from the module.
- Submit on the last page: copy your answers into Canvas (or download the file and upload it).
Ground rule: This module is about understanding results and how power works, not about cheering for a team. You can have opinions. In your writing, back every claim with evidence, and describe other people's views fairly.
Module 1
What was on the ballot?
A midterm election happens halfway through a president's four-year term. The president is not on the ballot, but a huge number of other offices are. Here is what voters chose on Nov. 3, 2026:
| Level | Office | What was up |
|---|---|---|
| Federal | U.S. House | All 435 seats (2-year terms) |
| Federal | U.S. Senate | 35 of 100 seats (33 regular + 2 special elections, in Florida and Ohio) |
| State | Governors | 36 states |
| North Carolina | General Assembly | All 120 NC House seats and all 50 NC Senate seats |
| North Carolina | Courts + amendments | A Supreme Court seat, Court of Appeals seats, and 3 constitutional amendments |
| Local | New Hanover County | County Commission, Board of Education, Clerk of Court, Sheriff, a school bond, and more |
From Election Day to taking office
Words you need
A majority means more than half. In the House that is 218 of 435. In the Senate it is 51 of 100 (or 50 plus the Vice President breaking a tie).
An incumbent is the person who already holds the office. When a seat flips, it changes from one party to the other.
The balance of power is which party controls each part of government, and by how much. That is the big question of this module.
Module 2
Congress: a full switch
Going in, Republicans controlled both the House and the Senate. Coming out, Democrats are projected to control both.
The Senate
Senate seats that flipped (R to D)
| State | Winner | Defeated |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | Roy Cooper (D) | Michael Whatley (R) |
| Texas | James Talarico (D) | Ken Paxton (R) |
| Ohio | Sherrod Brown (D) | Sen. Jon Husted (R) |
| Iowa | Josh Turek (D) | Ashley Hinson (R) |
| Kansas | Adam Hamilton (D) | Sen. Roger Marshall (R) |
| Maine | Troy Jackson (D) | Sen. Susan Collins (R) |
| South Carolina | Annie Andrews (D) | Republican nominee |
Still counting: In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom led Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) by just 43 votes with more than 95% counted. In Alaska, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R) led Mary Peltola (D) by 1,677 votes with about 80,000 ballots left. Republicans held Florida (Ashley Moody) and Nebraska (Pete Ricketts). Democrats held Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, and New Hampshire.
Map: where the 35 Senate races were
Tap a state.
The House
The "after" numbers are the NBC News projection for where the House ends up once every race is counted. Dozens of House races were still being counted Wednesday morning, so the exact final number will move a little. Control will not: Democrats passed 218.
Some House flips: three of Iowa's four seats, Pennsylvania's 1st (Bob Harvie beat Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick), Texas's 15th (Bobby Pulido beat Rep. Monica De La Cruz), and North Carolina's 11th (Jamie Ager). You will see more NC flips in Module 4.
So what? What a majority gets you
Control of a chamber is not just a scoreboard. The majority party:
- Picks the leader. The House majority elects the Speaker. The Senate majority picks the Majority Leader, who controls which bills get a vote.
- Runs every committee. Committee chairs decide which bills move and which investigations happen (including subpoenas).
- Sets the agenda. A bill the majority will not schedule never gets a vote.
- Senate only: confirms or rejects the president's nominees for judges, the Cabinet, and ambassadors.
With a Republican president (Donald Trump) and a Democratic Congress starting in January 2027, the country moves to divided government. Bills still need both chambers and the president's signature. The president can still veto, and Congress needs a two-thirds vote in both chambers to override.
This is checks and balances in action. When different parties control different branches, those checks get used a lot more.
Module 3
Governors: the states shift too
36 states elected governors. Going in, Republicans held 26 governorships nationwide and Democrats held 24. Democrats are now on track to hold a majority of governorships for the first time in 16 years.
Tap a state to see who won.
Why governors matter to you
Governors sign or veto state laws, write the state budget (which pays for public schools), lead the response to disasters like hurricanes, and appoint people to run state agencies. In a state like North Carolina, where the governor and legislature often disagree, the veto becomes a big deal. You will see that in Module 4.
Module 4
North Carolina: power shifts in Raleigh and in our delegation
U.S. Senate: Cooper wins
Former Gov. Roy Cooper (D) beat Michael Whatley (R), about 58.7% to 39.1% statewide (unofficial). He is the first North Carolina Democrat to win a U.S. Senate seat since 2008. Whatley conceded. More than 2.8 million North Carolinians voted early, up 36% from the last midterm in 2022.
Our 14 seats in the U.S. House
Tap a district.
Three NC races were within a few hundred votes Wednesday morning (NC-3, NC-5) or a couple thousand (NC-7). "Leaders" means who is ahead now, not a final call.
Our district: NC-7. County vs. district
New Hanover County is in the 7th Congressional District, but the district also covers other counties. Look closely at these two results for the same race:
District-wide unofficial count: Rouzer 159,606 · Hardy 157,417 (Carolina Journal, from NC State Board of Elections). County count: Port City Daily.
The General Assembly and the veto
Gov. Josh Stein (D) was not on the ballot this year, but the legislature he works with was. Before the election, Republicans held 71 of 120 NC House seats and 30 of 50 NC Senate seats.
That matters because of the veto override. In North Carolina, the legislature can override a governor's veto with a three-fifths vote of members present and voting in each chamber. With everyone present, that is 72 in the House and 30 in the Senate. A party with that many seats is said to have a supermajority.
- NC House: Democrats are projected to win a majority for the first time since 2010. Preliminary results showed at least 13 Republican-held seats flipping. A few races may go to recounts.
- NC Senate: Republicans keep the majority, but Democrats gained about 3 seats (including Jessica Bichler beating Sen. Michael Lee of New Hanover County). That breaks the Republican supermajority.
How a veto override works in North Carolina
Drag the sliders to set how many seats each party has. Then read what that party can do on its own.
"After" uses an early projection (House about 62 D to 58 R, Senate 23 D to 27 R). Final numbers come after the canvass and any recounts. The calculator assumes every member is present and votes with their party, which does not always happen.
Courts and amendments
Justice Anita Earls (D) won re-election to the NC Supreme Court over Sarah Stevens (R). Voters also approved all three constitutional amendments statewide: a photo ID requirement for voting, a cap on the state income tax rate, and a property tax limit.
Notice something interesting: in New Hanover County, voters picked mostly Democratic candidates and approved all three amendments, which were put on the ballot by the Republican legislature. Voters do not always vote a straight party line. Many people decide issue by issue.
Module 5
New Hanover County: the closest races are right here
About 54% of the county's 190,897 registered voters cast a ballot. Local boards decide things you feel every day: your school calendar and buildings, property taxes, parks, and growth.
54 voted. 46 did not. About 103,000 people decided every local race below.
Board of Commissioners
Two seats were up; the top two vote-getters win. Democrats Rob Zapple and LeShonda Wallace won both. Wallace's win unseats Republican Chair LeAnn Pierce, so the board shifts from Republican-led to Democratic-leaning.
Board of Education
Four seats were up; the top four win. All four Democrats won, giving Democrats a majority on the school board. (Libertarian David Perry also serves on the board.)
School bond
Voters approved a $320.5 million school bond, 67.9% to 32.1%. A bond lets the county borrow money for big projects, like building or repairing schools, and pay it back over many years, often through property taxes.
Yes 67.85%
65,712 votes
No 32.15%
31,140 votes
About 2 out of every 3 voters said yes.
Other local results
| Office | Result |
|---|---|
| Clerk of Superior Court | Jennie Thomason (D) beat incumbent Jan Kennedy (R), who had served since 2010. Flip |
| Sheriff | Ed McMahon (R), unopposed |
| NC Senate District 7 | Jessica Bichler (D) 52.6% beat Sen. Michael Lee (R) 47.4% Flip |
| NC House District 18 | Deb Butler (D) 70.4% |
| NC House District 19 | Charlie Miller (R) leads Scott Nasiff (D) by 41 votes Too close |
| NC House District 20 | Tim Merrick (D) leads Dane Scalise (R) by 101 votes Too close (open seat; Republican Ted Davis retired) |
How close is close?
Here are local races side by side. The dashed line is North Carolina's 1% recount line. Anything left of it can be recounted on request.
The recount calculator
In North Carolina, the trailing candidate in a non-statewide race can ask for a recount if the margin is 1% or less of the votes cast. (Statewide races use 0.5% or 10,000 votes.) Pick a race or type your own numbers.
Module 6
Why did it happen? Evidence and explanations
Results tell you what happened. Explaining why takes evidence. Here is some of it.
Pattern 1: The midterm penalty
Since World War II, the president's party has lost House seats in almost every midterm election. The only exceptions were 1998 and 2002. Political scientists offer a few reasons: voters who are unhappy are more motivated to turn out, and midterms often work like a report card on the president.
Bars below the line are losses. Historical numbers are approximate; counts differ by a seat or two between sources. 2026 is a projection (about 219 to 177) and will change as races are called. Tap a bar.
Tap a bar to see the year.
Pattern 2: What voters told exit pollsters
An exit poll surveys voters as they leave polling places (and some who voted early). Early 2026 exit polls found:
Source: AAA, as reported by CBS News. 2026 set the record for an Election Day.
Pattern 3: How each side explained it
Notice the difference between a fact (Democrats flipped 7 Senate seats) and an explanation (why they flipped). Facts can be checked. Explanations are arguments, and you judge them by their evidence.
Module 7