When Do Newly Elected Members of Congress and Governors Take Office?
Reviewed:
Congress: January 3, 2027
New terms in the 120th Congress begin at noon on January 3, 2027 (a Sunday), the date the 20th Amendment sets. Congress usually meets for the first time that day, though a law can set a different first meeting day. On the first day:
- The House has no members until they're sworn in, so its first act is to elect a Speaker, who needs a majority of the members voting. Then the Speaker swears in the members.
- In the Senate, only a third of the seats were up, so it never stops working. Newly elected senators are sworn in by the vice president.
Between the election and January 3
- States count and certify their results, usually within a few weeks.
- The outgoing Congress holds its lame-duck session.
- New members attend orientation in Washington, choose offices and hire staff.
- Each party chooses its leaders for the new Congress.
Governors
Each state sets its own date. Most governors elected in November 2026 take office in January 2027; a few, including Alaska's and Hawaii's, start in December 2026. Check your state's page under races by state.
Sources: U.S. Constitution, 20th Amendment; National Constitution Center.
Questions and answers
When is the new Congress sworn in?
New terms begin at noon on January 3, 2027, the date set by the 20th Amendment.
What does the House do first?
It elects a Speaker, who needs a majority of the members voting. The Speaker then swears in the members.
When do new governors take office?
Each state sets its own date. Most governors elected in November 2026 start in January 2027; a few, including Alaska's and Hawaii's, start in December 2026.