The November 3, 2026 elections gave Democrats control of both the Senate and the House, according to NBC News projections. For Polish Americans, one of the biggest stories of the night came from Toledo, Ohio: Marcy Kaptur, a congresswoman of Polish descent, won her 23rd term and remains the longest-serving woman in the history of the U.S. Congress.
As of November 4, 2026, 11:30 a.m. New York time. Results are unofficial. Data: The Associated Press; projected winners: NBC News Decision Desk. Full results, maps and charts: 2026 U.S. Elections Live.
Marcy Kaptur: from Żnin to Capitol Hill
In Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, which covers Toledo and the Lake Erie shoreline, Democrat Marcy Kaptur won 52.7% of the vote to 47.3% for Republican Derek Merrin, with about 98% of the vote counted. It was a rematch of 2024, when Kaptur won by just 2,382 votes. This time her margin is clearly wider, even though the district had been redrawn in a way that favored Republicans.
Marcy Kaptur was born in Toledo in 1946. Both of her parents were of Polish descent: her paternal grandparents came from Żnin, and her maternal grandparents, the Rogowski family, from the area of Polonne, now in Ukraine. She first won election to Congress in 1982. Since 2023 she has been the longest-serving woman in congressional history, and since 2009 she has been the dean of Ohio’s delegation.
For Polish Americans, what she does in Washington matters more than the records. Kaptur co-chairs the Congressional Caucus on Poland and the Congressional Ukraine Caucus. In June 2026 she was the lead author of H.Res. 1082, which marks 250 years of Polish-American friendship – we covered it in 250 Years of Friendship.
Friends of Poland in Congress – on both sides of the aisle
The Caucus on Poland has co-chairs from both parties. Here is how they did:
- Chris Smith (Republican, New Jersey’s 4th District) – re-elected with 59.1%.
- Bill Keating (Democrat, Massachusetts’ 9th District) – re-elected with 61.0%.
- Mike Turner (Republican, Ohio’s 10th District) – race not yet called; Democrat Kristina Knickerbocker leads 49.3% to 47.7%.
Two co-sponsors of the 250-years resolution were also re-elected: Nikki Budzinski (Democrat, Illinois’ 13th District; 62.6%) and Debbie Dingell (Democrat, Michigan’s 6th District; 67.4%). The takeaway is simple: Poland has friends in Congress among both Democrats and Republicans, whichever party holds the majority.
Where most Polish Americans live
New York. Governor Kathy Hochul (D) defeated Bruce Blakeman (R), 60.1% to 39.7%. In the 17th District in the Hudson Valley, Cait Conley (D) leads Mike Lawler (R), 52.2% to 47.7%, but the race has not been called.
New Jersey. Senator Cory Booker (D) was re-elected, 62.1% to 35.3% for Justin Murphy (R). In the 7th District, Rebecca Bennett (D) defeated Thomas Kean Jr. (R), 57.1% to 41.4%.
Pennsylvania. Governor Josh Shapiro (D) won a second term, 60.4% to 38.3% for Stacy Garrity. Democrats flipped four House seats: the 1st (Bob Harvie defeated Brian Fitzpatrick), the 7th (Bob Brooks defeated Ryan Mackenzie), the 8th – around Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, where many families have Polish roots – (Paige Cognetti defeated Rob Bresnahan Jr.) and the 10th (Janelle Stelson defeated Scott Perry).
Illinois. Governor JB Pritzker (D) defeated Darren Bailey (R), 59.8% to 36.8%. Juliana Stratton (D) wins Dick Durbin’s Senate seat with 61.0%. In Chicago’s 5th District, Mike Quigley (D) was re-elected.
Michigan. Abdul El-Sayed (D) wins the Senate seat, defeating Mike Rogers (R), 52.5% to 45.5%. Jocelyn Benson (D) was elected governor, 54.5% to 43.7% for John James (R).
Ohio. Beyond Kaptur’s win, Sherrod Brown (D) defeated Jon Husted (R) in the special Senate election, and Amy Acton (D) was elected governor over Vivek Ramaswamy (R).
What the change in Congress means for Polish Americans
The new Congress convenes in January 2027. The president remains a Republican while both chambers will be Democratic – a divided government in which most legislation will require compromise. According to CBS News, President Donald Trump congratulated Democrats and said he would use his veto power.
For Polish Americans, the key issues are those Congress decides: the defense budget and the U.S. troop presence in Poland, aid to Ukraine and NATO’s eastern flank, immigration law, and Social Security and Medicare. On these, voices such as Marcy Kaptur and Chris Smith will be heard in both parties.
Politicians in Poland reacted to the results. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that “today, democracy won in America.” Marcin Przydacz, head of President Karol Nawrocki’s International Policy Bureau, stressed that cooperation with Washington will continue because the United States remains Poland’s ally.
Counting continues, and several races – including Mike Turner’s district and New York’s 17th – are still too close to call. We publish the latest numbers in 2026 U.S. Elections Live.
Polish-American organizations and institutions that connect our community with its representatives in Washington and in the states are listed in the Polish Pages directory.
Sources: AP results and NBC News projections (NBC News results pages, Nov. 4, 2026); Stay Tuned Sandusky; Yahoo News; Wikipedia – Marcy Kaptur; CBS News; Notes from Poland.
NBC News is a trademark of NBCUniversal Media, LLC. AP and The Associated Press are trademarks of The Associated Press. CBS News is a trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Yahoo is a trademark of Yahoo Inc. Wikipedia is a trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. All trademarks belong to their respective owners. Poland.us and Polish Pages are not affiliated with or endorsed by these companies.
