October 2026
By Todd Brown
When some people hear the word “midterms,” they may think back to exams they took in high school or college. But in American political life, the term also refers to elections that are held about halfway through each presidential term.
Although the president is not on the ballot this year, many other officeholders are. All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are up for election every two years, along with roughly one-third of the U.S. Senate. Races for many governors, state legislators, county officials, and other state and local officials are also being held in many parts of the country.
The 2026 midterms could be particularly consequential because they will determine control of Congress for the final two years of President Donald Trump’s term. Republicans currently control both chambers. A change in control of either the House and/or Senate would alter the balance of power in Washington, affecting legislation, federal spending, presidential appointments, congressional investigations, and oversight of the executive branch.
Who Is Likely to Win?
There has been a great deal of speculation about who will win this year’s midterms, and polling indicates that many races across the country are extremely close. In a recent New York Times Opinion interactive, “Who Will Win the Midterms? 6 Pollsters and Pundits Make Educated Guesses,” nearly all the participating experts believed Democrats were positioned to win control of the House while remaining just short of a Senate majority. The contributors emphasized factors including presidential approval, the national congressional ballot, turnout, redistricting, and the relatively small number of truly competitive districts.
Other nonpartisan analysts see a similarly competitive landscape. As of September 11, the Cook Political Report rated 21 U.S. House races as Toss Ups. Republicans currently hold 16 of those seats and Democrats five, meaning a relatively small collection of congressional districts could help determine which party controls the House. Among the races Cook currently calls Toss Ups are districts in Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Pennsylvania alone has three Toss Up House districts.
The Senate picture is different. Cook’s current Senate ratings list six contests as Toss Ups: Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, and Texas, while races in Georgia, North Carolina, and New Hampshire are also considered competitive but presently lean Democratic. Delaware’s U.S. Senate race is currently rated Solid Democratic.
And What About Delaware?
Much closer to home, every seat in the Delaware House of Representatives and about half of the State Senate seats are on the ballot this year. Democrats currently hold substantial majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly. Democrats, in fact, have the chance to win a “supermajority” in the state House of Representatives if they can gain one additional seat.
Several Sussex County contests deserve attention. In House District 20, which includes parts of the Lewes-Milton area, Harry Gold is up against Republican incumbent Gerald Hocker for the senate seat. Alonna Berry will face Republican Gene Dvornick for State Representative. Spotlight Delaware describes that November contest as likely to be among the closest State House races of the year.
The 4th Representative District, covering communities including Long Neck, Oak Orchard, Angola, and portions of Lewes and Millsboro, is an open-seat contest between Democrat Gregg Lindner and Republican Dan Zitofsky. Republican incumbent Jeff Hilovsky is not seeking reelection.
House District 36 stretches from Milford down through Ellendale, Lincoln, Slaughter Beach and surrounding areas where Democrat Andy Gorlich will face incumbent Bryan Shupe.
And here in the 14th Representative District, Democratic Rep. Claire Snyder-Hall and Republican Mike Simpler are scheduled for a rematch of their 2024 contest. In that election, Snyder-Hall won with 54.6% of the vote to Simpler’s 45.4%.
Midterm elections sometimes attract less attention and have lower turnout than presidential elections, but the decisions voters make on November 3 will help determine the direction of government at every level, from Congress in Washington to the General Assembly in Dover to the communities here at the Delaware beaches.
Todd B. Brown, EdD, is a member of RD 14 and chairs the Media Relations Committee and co-chairs the Young Democrats Committee. He served as special education supervisor for the Souderton, PA, School District and now lives in Rehoboth.