Control of Congress and the legislative agenda for the next two years hangs on a handful of races as Americans cast ballots across the country, with all 435 U.S. House seats and seven Senate contests determining whether Republicans maintain their grip on Washington or Democrats seize the majority, FOX 10 Phoenix reported.
The stakes reach from Capitol Hill to statehouses in Phoenix and beyond. In the House, Republicans entered Election Day holding a razor-thin 220-215 majority, but two seats sit empty following the April 2026 resignations of Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas and Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida. Every one of the 435 seats is up for grabs tonight, meaning the entire chamber could flip with a net gain of just six seats for Democrats. For voters in competitive districts, that math translates to direct consequences: which bills become law, whether oversight investigations proceed, and how federal disaster relief and infrastructure money flows to local communities.
All 435 House Seats Up as GOP Defends Slim 220-215 Majority
Republicans currently hold 220 seats to Democrats’ 215, according to the official party breakdown published by the House Press Gallery. That five-seat margin leaves almost no room for error in a chamber where party-line votes are the norm. The two vacancies stem from resignations documented in the House historical records, which note that both Gonzales and Cherfilus-McCormick stepped down in April 2026, leaving their districts without voting representation until tonight’s results are certified.
For Democrats, the path to power runs through suburban districts and working-class communities that have shifted in recent cycles. Win six seats and they control the speakership, committee chairs, and the floor schedule. For Republicans, holding the majority means preserving the ability to set the agenda on everything from tax policy to border security and federal spending levels.
Senate Control Comes Down to Seven States
The upper chamber presents a steeper climb for Democrats. Republicans currently hold 53 seats to 47 for Democrats and their allies, meaning the GOP needs to defend just 50 seats to retain control. If the chamber ends in a 50-50 tie, Vice President JD Vance casts the deciding vote, handing Republicans the majority without needing a single Democratic vote.
Seven states will decide which party holds the gavel: Alaska, Iowa, Maine, South Carolina, Texas, Kansas, and Ohio. Each contest carries national weight because Senate control determines judicial confirmations, cabinet appointments, and which House-passed bills ever see a floor vote. Voters in these states effectively hold the keys to the federal judiciary and the executive branch’s staffing for the next two years, shaping everything from environmental regulations to healthcare policy.
Governors’ Mansions Could Flip for First Time in Over a Decade
Beyond Washington, November’s elections offer one party a chance to control a majority of governors’ mansions for the first time in more than ten years. Republicans currently hold 26 governorships to 24 for Democrats, a margin that shapes everything from congressional redistricting to emergency response and state budgets.
According to the final Fox News Power Rankings released ahead of Election Day, three states where Republicans hold the governor’s office—Alaska, Nevada, and Georgia—are rated as toss-ups. Wisconsin, which has an open Democratic-held seat, is also a toss-up. Meanwhile, the gubernatorial races in Florida, Kansas, and Texas lean Republican. For state employees, teachers, and businesses reliant on state contracts, these races determine who signs the budget, sets licensing rules, and manages the state’s response to economic downturns.
Arizona Voters Decide Statewide Offices and Legislative Control
In Arizona, voters are deciding not just federal races but the governor’s office, secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, superintendent of public instruction, corporation commissioner, U.S. House seats, ballot propositions, and control of the state House and Senate. Results stream in through interactive county-by-county maps that update automatically as votes are counted, with fully darkened blue or red states indicating Associated Press projections of a win.
The balance of power in Phoenix matters beyond state borders. Arizona’s legislature controls redistricting, election administration, and education funding—policies that ripple through the Southwest and influence national debates on immigration, water rights, and tribal sovereignty. For Phoenix residents and businesses, tonight’s results determine who sets the tax rate, regulates utilities through the Corporation Commission, and manages the state’s response to drought and population growth. County-level results will show exactly where suburban Maricopa and Pima counties break, revealing the geographic foundations of whatever majority emerges.
As results trickle in from voting precincts to Capitol Hill, the shape of American governance for 2027 and 2028 takes form one county at a time.
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