Democrats Reach 254 House Seats as More Midterm Races Are Called on Saturday

Democrats reached 254 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives on Saturday, November 8, 2026, as more midterm races were called, extending a majority that is now on course to be the party's largest since the 2008 election. The Democrats 254 House seats count gives the party a lead of more than 90 seats over Republicans, with 19 contests still undecided.

The Associated Press had Democrats at 254 seats to 162 for Republicans as of Saturday, a margin that grew through the day as counting continued in the final unresolved districts. Democrats are projected to oust at least 30 Republican incumbents, and the final tally could climb higher: NBC News estimated a final total near 259 seats, while CBS News put the figure at about 256.

Key Points

• The Associated Press had Democrats at 254 House seats to 162 for Republicans as of Saturday, November 8, 2026, with 19 contests still undecided.
• Democrat Nancy Lacore defeated Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt 49.7% to 48.6% in South Carolina's 1st Congressional District, flipping a Republican-held seat.
• In California's 14th District, Democrat Aisha Wahab defeated fellow Democrat Melissa Hernandez, with the Associated Press calling the race on Friday evening, November 7.
• Democrats are projected to oust at least 30 Republican incumbents, on course for their largest House majority since the 2008 election; NBC estimated a final total near 259 seats, CBS about 256.
• In the Senate, Democrats plus two independents hold a combined 54 seats to 44 for Republicans, with Alaska and Mississippi uncalled; in Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom led Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by 2,574 votes on Saturday with about 97% counted.

What Happened

The headline call of the day came in South Carolina's 1st Congressional District, where Democrat Nancy Lacore defeated Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt 49.7% to 48.6% with 99% of ballots counted. Lacore, a retired Navy admiral, had only been reported as leading earlier in the week; the Associated Press call on Saturday made the flip official.

California delivered two more Democratic seats on Friday evening. In the 14th District, Aisha Wahab defeated fellow Democrat Melissa Hernandez, securing a full two-year term after winning a special election earlier this year to replace Eric Swalwell. In the 11th District, Scott Wiener prevailed over fellow Democrat Connie Chan.

The new calls pushed the Democratic total from 250 seats, reached on Thursday, November 5, to 254 by Saturday. With 19 contests still undecided, the final number is expected to rise further, and both NBC and CBS project a final total in the mid-to-high 250s.

Background and Context

Democrats entered the 2026 midterms as the minority party in both chambers of Congress, and the election on Tuesday, November 3, delivered a sweep that flipped control of the House and the Senate. The House result has been building for days as late-counted ballots in California and other western states were tallied, a process that routinely takes several days after Election Day because of mail-in and provisional ballots.

The scale of the Democratic gains is now clear. At least 30 Republican incumbents are projected to lose their seats, a wave that reaches from coastal districts to seats in the South. The last time Democrats held a House majority this large was after the 2008 election, when the party won 257 seats.

The new Congress convenes on January 3, 2027, ending Republican majorities in both chambers.

Democrats 254 House Seats: What the Number Means

The 254-seat figure matters because it is not just a majority, it is a working majority. A party needs 218 seats to control the House, and at 254 Democrats would hold a cushion of 36 seats, enough to absorb defections on difficult votes and to set the legislative agenda without depending on the handful of members in the middle.

The margin also shapes the leadership fight ahead, as the incoming majority elects a Speaker and committee chairs in the coming weeks and sets its oversight and legislative priorities.

For Republicans, the number is a measure of the scale of the defeat. Losing at least 30 incumbents in a single cycle is a wipeout by modern standards, and the party will spend the next two years rebuilding in districts it had expected to hold, including seats like South Carolina's 1st that had looked safe.

Reactions and Quotes

The race calls themselves were the story on Saturday, with the Associated Press issuing the formal calls that settled the South Carolina and California contests. The networks' projections told the same story from different angles: NBC News estimated a final Democratic total near 259 seats, while CBS News projected about 256, both pointing to a majority larger than the 254 seats already called.

The Mississippi Senate race added to the picture of a count still moving. Democrat Scott Colom led Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by 2,574 votes on Saturday with about 97% of the expected vote counted, a lead that has grown steadily since Election Day, when the race was separated by only 43 votes.

Why It Matters

The size of the Democratic House majority will shape the next two years of American politics. A majority in the mid-250s gives Democrats the votes to pass legislation in the House, launch investigations and set the terms of the debate with the White House.

It also changes the political calendar. With control of both chambers, Democrats will hold the gavels on the committees that oversee the executive branch, and the incoming majority has already signalled that oversight of the Trump administration will be a priority from January.

What Happens Next

The remaining 19 House contests will be called in the coming days as counting finishes, and the final Democratic total is expected to land in the mid-to-high 250s. The Mississippi Senate race is also expected to be called soon, with Colom's lead of 2,574 votes and 97% of the vote counted making a Democratic pickup increasingly likely.

Attention will then turn to the transition. The incoming House majority will elect its leadership and committee chairs, and the new Congress will convene on January 3, 2027.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many House seats have Democrats won?
254 seats as of Saturday, November 8, 2026, according to the Associated Press, with 19 contests still undecided.

Who won South Carolina's 1st District?
Democrat Nancy Lacore defeated Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt 49.7% to 48.6%, flipping a Republican-held seat.

How large is the Democratic majority?
It is on course to be the largest since the 2008 election, when the party won 257 seats. NBC estimated a final total near 259, CBS about 256.

What is happening in the Mississippi Senate race?
Democrat Scott Colom led Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by 2,574 votes on Saturday with about 97% of the expected vote counted. The race is still uncalled.

When does the new Congress take office?
January 3, 2027, when the newly elected members are sworn in and the Democratic majorities in both chambers begin.

Read more on US News Pulse: Democrats Clear 250 House Seats, Biggest Majority Since 2008, Zach Dembo Flips Kentucky House Seat as Navy Admiral Nancy Lacore Leads in South Carolina and Fight Grows Over Ballot Counting in Mississippi's Tight Senate Race as Colom Leads Hyde-Smith by About 1,800 Votes.