CBS News and NBC News project that Democrats have won enough seats to take back the U.S. House, ending four years of Republican control.
What the networks are projecting
On Election Night, CBS News projected that Democrats won control of the House of Representatives. NBC News projected the same outcome and estimated Democrats could finish with about 248 seats, well above the 218 needed for a majority. Exact totals can still shift as close races finish counting.
- Republicans have held the House since 2023.
- Democrats needed a net gain of three seats to reclaim the majority.
- Both CBS and NBC said economic pressure, including everyday costs, weighed heavily on voters.
How each side is talking about it
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries posted “Victory for America!” on X after the network projections. According to CBS and NBC, Jeffries has said Democrats would focus on affordability steps such as reversing Medicaid cuts, extending Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, restoring Congress’s role on tariffs, and ending the war with Iran. On impeachment, he has said Democrats have not ruled anything in or out.
Republicans cast the midterms as a choice between “common sense” and “crazy,” according to CBS News, pointing to democratic socialist candidates who won some races. Speaker Mike Johnson told CBS News’ Robert Costa he felt frustration as returns came in and said he did not see election disputes on his radar. Before the election, Johnson told CBS he intended to keep leading House Republicans even if the party lost the majority. President Donald Trump told CBS earlier Tuesday he was prepared to use veto power and act as “Mr. Veto” if Democrats took the House.
What a House flip would change
A House majority decides who chairs committees and who sets the chamber’s schedule. Starting in January, that would give Democrats subpoena power for oversight of the Trump administration. Most new laws would still need Senate agreement and a presidential signature, or enough votes to override a veto.
CBS and NBC highlighted early Democratic pickups in places such as Pennsylvania’s 7th, 8th, and 10th districts, North Carolina’s 11th, Kentucky’s 6th, and Colorado’s 8th. In Colorado’s 1st District, Melat Kiros won and became the first Gen Z woman elected to Congress, according to CBS News.
Exit polls cited by CBS put Trump’s approval near 38% and found about six in 10 voters said the president was a factor in their House vote. Trump remains president either way. The new House would not take office until January 2027.
Sources: CBS News, CBS live House results, NBC News, CBS News on X, NBC News on X, Hakeem Jeffries on X, CBS Costa-Johnson interview post, CBS Trump veto interview post
