2026 Midterms ยท November 3, 2026
Race for the Gavel
All 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats are on the ballot. Lead your party through an 8-week campaign: reach 218 House seats for the Speaker's gavel and a Senate majority to control Congress.
The House
House battlegrounds
The Senate
Real 2026 map: Republicans hold 53 seats, Democrats 47 (incl. 2 independents). 35 seats are up. Not counting the 8 races below, the Democrats start at 45 and the Republicans at 47. At 50โ50, Vice President JD Vance (R) breaks ties, so Democrats need 51 and Republicans 50. Ratings from Cook Political Report (August 2026; October updates moved Minnesota to Lean D and South Carolina to Lean R, outside these eight).
Senate battlegrounds
๐ฎ Your 2026 prediction map
Who wins the real midterms on November 3? Tap each Senate race to pick a winner, set the House seats, then share your prediction.
๐ You are looking at a shared prediction. Change any race to make it your own.
Campaign ($1M) gives +3 in a district or Senate race. TV ads ($3M) give +6. Your opponent does the same every week, then the news wheel spins.
Campaign log
About the game
The U.S. House of Representatives has 435 seats, and every one of them is on the ballot in the 2026 midterms. Whichever party wins at least 218 seats controls the chamber and chooses the Speaker, the person who holds the gavel. In this game each party starts with 190 safe House seats and the fight comes down to 55 toss-ups in battleground states.
The Senate has 100 seats and 35 of them are up in 2026. A majority takes 51 votes, and in a 50โ50 tie the Vice President casts the deciding vote. The Senate part of the game uses the real map: the current 53โ47 split and the eight most competitive races as rated by Cook Political Report (Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, North Carolina and Georgia).
Questions
How does Race for the Gavel work?
You lead a party through 8 campaign weeks. Spend actions and money on battleground districts, then spin the news wheel. On election night every toss-up seat is decided by your odds plus a national polling error.
How many seats do you need to win the House?
218 of 435 seats. The party with a majority elects the Speaker of the House, who holds the gavel.
How many seats do you need to control the Senate?
51 of 100. At 50โ50 the Vice President breaks ties, so with a Republican Vice President the Republicans control the Senate with 50 seats.
Is this a prediction of the 2026 midterms?
No. It is a game. In the House both parties start even. The Senate uses the real starting map, and luck is the same for everyone.
Can I make my own 2026 Senate prediction?
Yes. In the prediction map you pick the winner of the eight closest Senate races and set the House seat count, then share your prediction with a link.
When is the 2026 midterm election?
Tuesday, November 3, 2026. All 435 House seats are on the ballot.
A game, not a forecast. Sources: SVT Datajournalistik (election rules), Cook Political Report via Wikipedia (Senate ratings, Aug 20, 2026).