The Tug-of-War for Control of the House in 2026’s Midterm Elections

Feb. 6, 2025 218 for majority control205 racesfavor Dems.18 tossups212 racesfavor Reps. Because the party out of power almost always does well in midterm elections, Democrats should be cruising toward a comfortable performance in the fall. And public sentiment has steadily drifted away from President Trump — and, by proxy, Republicans — amid an unpopular war with Iran, high gas prices and discontent with the president’s handling of the economy.But public sentiment matters only so much in elections. The way congressional maps are drawn can have an enormous impact on which party is favored to win. Over the last year, Republicans have created a structural advantage by redrawing maps to carve out more safe red territory.The data from the Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan group that analyzes elections, lays bare this tug-of-war for House control. House race ratings from the Cook Political Report Feb. 6, 2025205

races212 racesNov. 2, 2025202

217 Nov. 11, 2025207

212 April 7, 2026213

205 April 21, 2026217