Not every vote has been counted, but voters’ message in the 2026 midterms is clear: the way things are is unacceptable, and going back to the way things were isn’t the answer. AP's post-election polling indicates voters were especially focused on costs, accountability, and changes in Washington.
Democrats made major gains at every level. They won majorities in both the House, flipping dozens of seats, and the Senate, winning in long-Republican states like South Carolina, Texas, and Kansas. Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia and Gina Hinojosa in Texas became the first Black woman and the first Latina to lead their states, and there were many other important ‘firsts.’ At the state level, Democrats now hold most of the nation’s governorships for the first time in 16 years.
The results, exit polls, and winning platforms point the same way. Voters rejected both the harmful governance of the past two years and the status quo before it. They backed candidates who promised to change how government serves people, not just restore what came before.
For people living with HIV, that change is long overdue.
What 2027 Holds
People living with and affected by HIV face:
- The risk of losing Medicaid coverage under the 2025 Republican reconciliation bill
- Higher health insurance costs following the expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits at the end of 2025
- Rising costs for housing, groceries, and other basics
- Growing bigotry and discrimination
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These challenges are connected, and together they undermine the health and dignity of people with HIV. The incoming 120th Congress must meet them with a bold agenda, and AIDS United is ready to help.
Challenge and Opportunity
The next two years won’t be easy. Many longtime congressional champions are retiring, divided government will make major legislation hard to pass, and the Trump Administration shows no sign of easing its attacks on our communities.
But dozens of new members of Congress could become the next generation of HIV champions. It’s up to us to connect their priorities with ours and to place people with HIV at the center of the broader fights for universal health care, racial equity, LGBTQ+ rights, economic justice, housing, and reproductive rights.
Top-Line Results
At the time of print, Democrats have secured majorities in both the U.S. Senate and House. In the Senate, Democrats secured a 7-seat pick up which equates to a 54-44 majority. In the House, Democrats so far have picked up 18 seats for a 231-141 majority - with several races still outstanding. Very notable wins on the Senate side occurred in Iowa, Kansas, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, and Texas. And in the House, despite several states conducting mid-census redistricting to give them a partisan advantage, such a yield did not materialize.
At the state level, similarly seismic shifts occurred. Democrats gained trifectas (where the same party controls both chambers of the legislature and the governor’s seat) in at least three states - Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Republicans lost trifectas in four states - Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, and Texas. Not every race has been called, but currently Democrats will hold at least 27 governorships and Republicans will hold 20 - another significant shift in the balance of power.
Included in these results were a number of noteworthy firsts. In addition to governor-elect Gina Hinojosa, Peggy Flanagan is the first Native American woman elected to the Senate and Deb Haaland became the first Indigenous woman elected governor of a U.S. state, Chris Pappas is the first openly gay man in the Senate, and Byron Donalds became Florida’s first Black Republican elected governor. Finally, New York elected its first all-woman ticket for governor with Adrienne Adams becoming the first Black woman elected lieutenant governor there; Amy Acton is the first woman elected governor of Ohio, Amy Klobuchar will be Minnesota’s first female governor, and Marsha Blackburn won in Tennessee, which has never had a woman governor. More than 100 Democratic women were elected to the House and Keisha Lance Bottoms one of five Black governors elected Tuesday, so for the first time several Black governors will serve at once
The results from key ballot initiatives across the country were more mixed than races for federal and state elected office. In Nevada and Virginia, ballot initiatives enshrining reproductive rights in their state constitutions were successful and Missouri voters struck down an initiative that would have overturned constitutional abortion rights that voters approved in 2024. But voters in Idaho did reject a ballot initiative that would have ended the state’s near-total ban on abortion. Meanwhile, in Arizona and Nebraska, voters passed ballot initiatives pertaining to transgender students in school sports - a persistent trope intended to politicize transgender healthcare. Washington and Colorado had similar ballot measures, with Colorado also having an undecided ballot measure on banning gender affirming surgery for minors. In Massachusetts, voters soundly rejected a ballot initiative to repeal recreational marijuana legalization. Voters also considered multiple ballot measures related to voter ID laws, taxes, and data centers.
What AIDS United WIll Do
The 2026 election creates an opportunity to build new relationships, advance an ambitious HIV policy agenda, and strengthen the collective power of our movement.
Working with our Public Policy Council, grantees, partners, and people living with HIV, AIDS United will focus on three priorities:
- Protecting essential programs: Defending Medicaid, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, HIV prevention, and other federal investments that support people living with and vulnerable to HIV.
- Building a new generation of congressional champions: Engaging incoming lawmakers, connecting them with constituents, and preparing advocates to make the case for sustained HIV investment through AIDSWatch and year-round advocacy.
- Advancing a transformative policy agenda: Developing an updated Roadmap to End the HIV Epidemic that addresses not only HIV prevention and treatment, but also the structural barriers—including housing instability, economic insecurity, discrimination, and unequal access to healthcare—that continue to drive the epidemic.
We cannot simply defend past progress. We must build the political will, partnerships, and public support necessary to achieve what remains possible: ending the HIV epidemic in the United States.
