How Congress Picks Its Party Leaders After the 2026 Midterms
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After every election, each party in the House and Senate meets behind closed doors to choose its leaders for the next Congress. In the Senate, the majority party's leader becomes majority leader and manages the chamber's schedule and business. Democrats won control of both chambers on November 3, 2026, so the parties swap roles in the 120th Congress. Follow the seats on who controls Congress.
How Senate leaders are chosen
- Each party's senators meet as a conference and vote by secret ballot.
- Senators-elect vote too. Only senators who will serve in the new Congress take part, so this year's winners help pick the leaders.
- A candidate needs a majority of the votes cast. If there are more than two candidates and no one has a majority, the one with the fewest votes drops out and the senators vote again.
- In November 2024, Senate Republicans chose John Thune this way. He led the first ballot with 23 votes, then beat John Cornyn 29 to 24 on the second, after Rick Scott was eliminated.
How House leaders are chosen
House Democrats and Republicans also elect their leaders in closed party meetings. The majority party's choice for Speaker is only its nominee: the Speaker is elected by the whole House, by roll call, on the first day of the new Congress. See how the Speaker is elected.
The 2026 leadership votes
| Party | When | What's been reported |
|---|---|---|
| Senate Republicans | Tuesday, November 10 | John Thune, the current majority leader, is running for minority leader. John Barrasso is expected to run again for whip. No one has publicly challenged Thune. |
| Senate Democrats | Likely early December | Chuck Schumer, who has led Senate Democrats since 2017, says he expects to be re-elected as leader. Several Democratic Senate candidates said during the campaign that they wouldn't support him. |
| House Democrats | November 18 and 19 | Hakeem Jeffries is expected to be the nominee for Speaker. Katherine Clark is running for majority leader. |
Dates and candidates can still change. This page lists what had been reported by November 5, 2026.
Sources: Roll Call, "Thune to run for minority leader" and "'I'll be reelected as majority leader,' Schumer says" (November 4, 2026); Bloomberg Government, "House Democratic Leadership Elections Set for Nov. 18 and 19" (November 4, 2026); results of the 2024 Senate Republican Conference leadership election; NBC News and CBS News results coverage.
Questions and answers
Who votes in the party leadership elections?
Each party's members of the House or Senate, including members-elect who will serve in the new Congress. Senate leaders are chosen by secret ballot.
When do the parties pick their leaders after the 2026 election?
Senate Republicans vote on Tuesday, November 10, and House Democrats on November 18 and 19. Senate Democrats are expected to vote in early December.
Does the majority party's vote elect the Speaker?
No. It chooses the party's nominee. The whole House elects the Speaker by roll call on the first day of the new Congress.
More explainers
- When Will We Know Who Won the House and Senate?
- How Election Recounts Work: Thresholds, Costs and Odds
- Georgia's December 1 Runoff Explained
- What Is a Lame-Duck Session of Congress?
- When Do Newly Elected Members of Congress and Governors Take Office?
- Redistricting in 2026: Which States Redrew Their House Maps
- New Member Orientation: What Happens Before the New Congress
- How Do News Outlets Call an Election Race?
- Why Do Some States Take Weeks to Count Votes?
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