Election Night 2026: Democrats Projected to Win the House and Senate, Flip Ohio and Texas
Election Night 2026: Democrats Projected to Win the House and Senate, Flip Ohio and Texas
Networks project Democratic control of both chambers as of late Tuesday, with Senate flips in Ohio and Texas and governor wins from Austin to Albuquerque. Here is what is called, what is not, and what it means for Filipino America.
I left Marikina at nine, in August 1976, while Marcos Sr. still ruled the Philippines under martial law. I have spent my life loving the country that received my family and holding it to account, which is why I do not look away on a night like this one. I wrote before about that departure and what it taught me about authoritarianism.
As of just after midnight Eastern on November 4 (about 9:30 p.m. Pacific on November 3), ABC News, CNN and CNBC were each projecting that Democrats would win both the House and the Senate. This is a snapshot of a count that is still moving. Every call below is a projection from the outlets named in Sources, and a lead is not a result.
Hawaii was the first state to elect a Filipino governor in U.S. history: Benjamin Cayetano, in 1994. Filipino Americans are on the ballot again this year, from California to Hawaii and Nevada.
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Halalan — ha-LA-lan
Election. Tonight's halalan is the one Filipinos at home and abroad are watching, because what Washington does reaches every kitchen table and every remittance center.
Where Congress Stands
In the Senate, CNBC reported that the Associated Press had projected Democratic flips of Republican-held seats in Iowa, Kansas, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas. In Ohio, Sherrod Brown won the seat back for Democrats. In Texas, James Talarico defeated Ken Paxton, the state's Republican attorney general. Democrats also held Georgia, where Jon Ossoff won reelection, and Republican Ashley Moody held Florida.
| Race | Projected winner | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio Senate | Sherrod Brown (D) | Flip |
| Texas Senate | James Talarico (D), over Ken Paxton | Flip |
| North Carolina Senate | Roy Cooper (D) | Flip |
| Iowa Senate | Josh Turek (D) | Flip |
| Kansas Senate | Adam Hamilton (D) | Flip |
| South Carolina Senate | Annie Andrews (D) | Flip |
| Georgia Senate | Jon Ossoff (D) | Hold |
| Florida Senate | Ashley Moody (R) | Hold |
| Texas governor | Gina Hinojosa (D), over Greg Abbott | Flip |
| Ohio governor | Amy Acton (D), over Vivek Ramaswamy | Flip |
| New Mexico governor | Deb Haaland (D) | Hold |
| Arizona governor | Katie Hobbs (D), reelected | Hold |
In the House, CBS News said the chamber stood at 218 Republicans, one independent who caucuses with Republicans, and 214 Democrats, with two vacancies, before the polls closed. Democrats then flipped seats in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Colorado and Ohio. In North Carolina's 11th, Jamie Ager won a seat no Democrat had held since 2010. In Pennsylvania, Bob Brooks beat Ryan Mackenzie in the 7th, Paige Cognetti beat Rob Bresnahan Jr. in the 8th, and Janelle Stelson beat Scott Perry in the 10th. CNN reported that Hakeem Jeffries is expected to become the next Speaker.
The Governors
Gina Hinojosa defeated Greg Abbott in Texas, which the Washington Post described as the state's first Democratic governor in 35 years. In Ohio, the Associated Press called the race for Amy Acton over Vivek Ramaswamy at 10:50 p.m. Eastern, and NBC News said she is the first woman elected governor of the state. Deb Haaland won in New Mexico and, per the Associated Press, will be the first Native American woman to serve as governor of any U.S. state. In Arizona, Katie Hobbs won reelection over Trump-backed Rep. Andy Biggs.
A View From the Philippines
A writer in the Philippines summed up the mood in one sentence.
His argument was that the night reads less as an endorsement of Democrats than as a verdict on Republicans: a war he considers pointless, a world he says was pushed into crisis, and a billionaire class given room to behave as it always has. PinoyBuilt carries that as one reader's view, not as our finding, and it is the view of someone watching from outside the electorate. The vote totals will be argued over for weeks, and readers who see the night differently are welcome in the comments.
Filipino Americans on the Ballot
Inquirer USA listed Attorney General Rob Bonta, Assemblymember Jessica Caloza in the 52nd District and former Cerritos Mayor Mark Pulido in the 67th District among the Filipino American candidates in California. We covered what the attorney general race means for Fil-Am politics and profiled Jessica Caloza's path to Sacramento. In early returns on ABC7's tracker, Bonta stood near 64 percent and Caloza near 88 percent. Neither race was called in the sources I checked, and I found no confirmed result for Pulido. Those numbers will change as the count continues.
What Is Not Settled
Final seat totals in both chambers are not in. ABC's tracker still showed Maine's Senate race being counted, with Democrat T. Jackson ahead of Susan Collins and about 69 percent of the expected vote reporting. Some House races remain uncalled, and any projection can be revised. PinoyBuilt will update this piece when the counts are certified by the states.
Whatever the final numbers say, the lesson is the old one: people who hold power answer to people who vote. If this snapshot was useful, please subscribe to the PinoyBuilt YouTube channel and watch our videos, which helps PinoyBuilt get approved for YouTube ads.
- ABC News: Election 2026 live results
- CNN: Midterm election live news
- CNBC: Midterm elections 2026 live updates
- The Washington Post: Senate election results 2026
- ABC7 New York: Midterm live updates
- CBS News: 2026 House election live results
- Common Dreams: Democrats hand US House
- NBC News: 2026 governor results
- NBC News: Amy Acton wins Ohio governor
- NBC4 Columbus: Ohio governor's race
- Scripps News: Haaland wins New Mexico governor
- CBS News: Hobbs wins Arizona governor
- Axios: Election Night 2026
- The Center Square: House results
- Inquirer USA: Filipino American candidates in California
- ABC7 Los Angeles: California election results
- Rappler: Filams are running
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Founder & Editor
J.F.R. Perseveranda
J.F. (Jonjo) left the Philippines at age nine, spending a lifetime bridging the gap between his Marikina roots and his Chicago/Vallejo upbringing. A proud Hogan Spartan from East Vallejo and resident of LA/SF, he founded PinoyBuilt not just as a digital archive, but as a cultural compass for his three children to navigate their heritage, language, and identity with Pinoy Pride.
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