Democrats have won full control of Congress, flipping both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives that sent a sharp rejection of President Donald Trump on Election Day.

Democrats flipped two major House seats – New York’s 17th and Pennsylvania’s 8th congressional districts – in the Mid-Hudson Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania regions. Meanwhile, Republicans held onto key local and state legislative seats in more established GOP districts.

Voters flagged affordability as the top concern, notably the rising costs of basic living expenses including food, gas, and heating oil. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill enacted new work requirements for SNAP recipients and shifted more administrative costs to local counties and states.

“The [Trump] administration we got in there now is just crazy,” Sullivan County Patricia Parris told Radio Catskill. “People lost their food stamps, jobs, and it’s like nobody cares. I have people now that’s struggling because of the [SNAP] rules that they put in. They can’t get their food stamps, and that’s the biggest thing I have right now. People can’t even eat.”

Here are four congressional races we were watching on Election Day.

New York’s 19th congressional district: Incumbent Democratic U.S. Representative Josh Riley won his second term against State Senator Peter Oberacker in the state’s 19th congressional district. The rural district spans the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions, extending into the Capital District and the Catskills regions and includes Sullivan, Ulster, and Delaware counties.

Cost of living, rising energy costs, and protecting rural farmland from predatory developers were among the top issues both candidates narrowed in on leading up to the midterm elections.

Riley won in November 2024 after defeating former Rep. Marc Molinaro in a tight race. Oberacker wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday night that he had called Riley to congratulate him on the victory and that he’ll “keep fighting for Upstate New York, and [he] hope[s] Congressman Riley joins [him].”

New York’s 18th congressional district: Democratic and Working Families Party-endorsed incumbent Rep. Pat Ryan defeated Republican nominee Jackie Auringer. The district includes Orange, Ulster, and Dutchess counties. 

Ryan told WAMC that he’s focused on fighting to repeal tariffs and end the war with Iran. Auringer campaigned on cutting wasteful spending and lowering taxes.

The Associated Press declared Ryan the winner at 9:37 p.m., based on unofficial results. As of Wednesday afternoon, Ryan led with 62% of votes, and Auringer secured 37 percent of votes.

New York’s 17th congressional district: Democratic nominee Cait Conley defeated incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in one of the country’s most closely watched races for Democrats’ fight to control the House. It was also one of the most expensive congressional races in the 2026 midterm elections, with political spending from both parties topping $50 million, according to a Times Union analysis.

Lawler positioned himself as a moderate Republican and repeatedly pointed to when he stood up to President Trump. Meanwhile, Conley criticized Lawler for voting for massive Medicaid cuts in Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, or H.R.1.

Conley, a political newcomer and Army veteran, won the Democratic primaries in June amidst a crowded field. New York’s 17th district includes Rockland, Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess counties.

Pennsylvania’s 8th congressional district: Democratic candidate and Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti defeated Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, flipping Pennsylvania’s 8th congressional district seat. It’s one of a handful of House seats that helped Democrats take control of the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday night.

Our news partner WVIA joined Cognetti at her victory party on Tuesday night, where she promised change for Americans. 

“Guys, we won!” Cognetti said to cheering supporters on Nov. 3. “I am so incredibly grateful to each and every one of you.”

Cognetti is the current Scranton Mayor and the first woman elected mayor in the city. The district includes Wayne, Pike, Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Monroe counties in Pennsylvania.

The new Congress is scheduled to be sworn into office  on Sunday, January 3, 2027.