What's at stake in the US midterms on November 3, in numbers

Democrats need a net gain of three House seats and four Senate seats to take control, in a campaign set to break the record for ad spending.

Americans vote on November 3 in midterm elections that will shape the last two years of Donald Trump's presidency, even though he is not on the ballot. The polls decide control of Congress, along with governorships and thousands of state offices, according to a syndicated report carried by NDTV.

If Democrats win either chamber, they could block Trump's agenda and step up scrutiny of his administration. If Republicans hold both, the party keeps its control of Washington.

The House

435: every seat in the House of Representatives is contested every two years.
218: the number needed for a majority.
3: the net gain Democrats need. The House now stands at 218 Republicans, 214 Democrats, one independent and two vacancies, so Republicans can survive a net loss of two seats, but not three.

The Senate and the states

35: Senate seats up for election, 33 in the regular cycle plus special elections in Florida and Ohio.
53-47: the Republican advantage in the 100-seat Senate, counting two independents who vote with the Democrats. Democrats need a net gain of four seats for a majority; a 50-50 tie would be broken by Vice President JD Vance.
36: states electing governors.
6,139: state legislative seats on the ballot.

What the polls say

53% to 41%: the Democratic lead among registered voters asked which party's candidate they would back, in a PBS News/NPR/Marist poll from September 14-15.
32% to 41%: the range of Trump's approval rating in major September surveys. Reuters/Ipsos put him at 31% among US adults last week, the lowest of his political career. The polls use different methods, so they are not directly comparable.
55%: registered voters who told NBC News that Trump's policies had hurt the economy, against 26% who said they had helped.

The money

About $12 billion: expected advertising spend for the 2025-26 cycle. AdImpact forecasts $11.6 billion, above the previous midterm record of $8.9 billion in 2022 and even the 2024 presidential cycle.
$330 million: ad spending in California's governor primary alone, the most expensive governor's race on record, according to AdImpact.

The candidates

2,497: candidates who ran in congressional primaries this year, the most in any cycle since at least 2014. Most of them, 2,232, sought House seats.
44: House races on November 3 that are rematches of 2024 contests between the same two major-party candidates.