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News

Election 2026: Democrats Win Control of Congress as Massachusetts Re-elects Healey and Markey

The Associated Press called both the Senate and the House for Democrats. In Massachusetts, Gov. Maura Healey and Sen. Ed Markey won new terms. Here is what was decided, and what is still being counted.

Ecosystem Intelligence Desk

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The dome of the United States Capitol at sunset

Results as of Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. Some races are still being counted, and this post will be updated as they are called.

Voters across the country went to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and by early Wednesday the Associated Press had called both chambers of Congress for Democrats. The party flipped several Republican-held Senate seats to take back the majority, and the AP called the House for Democrats in the early hours of Wednesday. If the new House votes as expected in January, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries is in line to become speaker.

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The Senate

Democrats needed a net gain of four seats. According to AP race calls, the seats that changed the math included:

  • Iowa: Josh Turek (D) defeated Rep. Ashley Hinson (R). This was the call that gave Democrats the majority late Tuesday.
  • Maine: Troy Jackson (D) defeated Sen. Susan Collins (R), who conceded on Wednesday.
  • Ohio: Sherrod Brown (D) defeated Sen. Jon Husted (R).
  • North Carolina: Roy Cooper (D) won the open seat.
  • Kansas: Adam Hamilton (D) defeated Sen. Roger Marshall (R).
  • Texas: James Talarico (D) won the seat.

Democrats also held seats in Georgia, where Sen. Jon Ossoff won re-election, and in New Hampshire, where Chris Pappas won the seat left open by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s retirement. Republicans won in Florida, where Sen. Ashley Moody won the special election for the rest of Marco Rubio’s term, and in Wyoming, where Rep. Harriet Hageman won the seat Sen. Cynthia Lummis is leaving.

The House

Democrats needed a small net gain to take the House. Early flips came in North Carolina, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, where three Republican incumbents lost. A handful of competitive districts, including one in New York’s Hudson Valley that was slowed by voting-machine problems, were still being counted Wednesday.

Massachusetts

  • Governor: Maura Healey (D) won a second term, defeating Republican Mike Minogue.
  • U.S. Senate: Ed Markey (D) won a third term, defeating Republican John Deaton.
  • Ballot questions: Voters weighed nine statewide questions, including public records, same-day voter registration, all-party primaries, a state revenue limit, single-family zoning, the 2016 marijuana law and the 2024 gun law. Official results on each question are still coming in. Check the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office for certified totals.

What happens next

The new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3, 2027. Until then, the current Congress stays in session for the lame-duck period. States have several weeks to count and certify their results, so expect some final numbers, especially in close House races and in states with ranked-choice voting, to keep shifting over the next few days.

Sources: the Associated Press, PBS NewsHour, CBS Boston and other news outlets that carried AP race calls. This is a neutral summary of reported results and does not endorse any candidate or party.

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Quick check: When is the new Congress sworn in?

  1. Nov. 4, 2026
  2. Jan. 3, 2027
  3. Jan. 20, 2027
Show answer

B. The new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3, 2027. Jan. 20 is the date for presidential inaugurations, which were not on this year’s ballot.

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The institutional news desk of the Boston Made network. Reporting is researched from wire services including The Associated Press and local sources, and written by the desk.

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