Ever since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, reproductive rights have remained a significant issue shaping elections across the country. From abortion access and reproductive healthcare protections to the specific candidates seeking to influence those policies, voters have continued to weigh in on what reproductive freedom should look like in their states and communities. This election cycle was no exception.
The 2026 midterm elections gave voters another opportunity to shape the future of reproductive rights, with more than 400 Planned Parenthood-endorsed candidates running for congressional seats, statewide offices, and state legislatures across the nation. In addition to choosing their representatives, voters in multiple states also faced ballot measures that could directly impact reproductive healthcare access and legal protections. And while congressional elections often receive the most attention nationally, state and local elections can have just as significant an impact on reproductive healthcare; state legislators and governors deciding on ballot initiatives all play a role in determining what protections are available and how reproductive healthcare policies are implemented within their communities.
With reproductive rights being the No. 2 issue driving voters who responded to Her Campus’s 2026 election survey (second only to ICE and immigration), Gen Zers have been closely watching the results of these races and ballot initiatives. So, here are some of the most significant reproductive rights wins from the 2026 midterm elections and what they could mean moving forward.
Congressional Victories That Could Shape Reproductive Rights
Democrats now control both the congressional House and Senate, and even some of the most consistently Republican states saw Democratic wins. This means both chambers of U.S. Congress now have a majority that is committed to reproductive freedom.
In Georgia, Jon Ossoff won reelection and kept his Democratic Senate seat. Ossoff is in support of federal abortion protections — and he’s not the only congressional victory that could influence reproductive rights in the country. For example, in North Carolina, Roy Cooper flipped a Republican-held seat and was elected to the U.S. Senate, giving North Carolina voters their first Democratic Senate victory in more than 20 years. During his time as North Carolina’s governor, Cooper vetoed a 12-week abortion ban, and even though his veto was overturned, his support both then and during this year’s campaign is a step toward reproductive freedom.
The U.S. House also saw many pro-reproductive rights candidates win their elections, including Florida’s Kathy Castor, a loud supporter of reproductive freedom who defeated Mike Beltran, who had proposed abortion bans without exceptions.
Michigan’s congressional races also caught national attention due to its history as a battleground state. In addition to now being the first Muslim ever elected to the U.S. Senate, Abdul El-Sayed’s victory is also a victory over Rogers’ anti-abortion stances, with reproductive freedom as one of the pillars of his campaign.
Looking to the South, Texas is one of the states considered to be a Republican stronghold — until now. In a monumental shift, Democrat James Talarico won his U.S. Senate race over Ken Paxton, flipping the seat and becoming the first Texan Democrat in the Senate since 1988. Talarico supports abortion rights and reproductive freedom in a state where abortion is banned in all stages of pregnancy.
States Where Reproductive Rights Candidates Saw The Biggest Wins
Candidates in favor of reproductive rights saw success all across the country. A total of 43 of Planned Parenthood’s endorsed candidates hail from California (the most from any state) and while votes from some races are still being counted as of Nov. 4, as it stands right now, 25 of those candidates have had their race called in their favor. Planned Parenthood also endorsed 21 candidates running in New York, and 16 of those candidates have won their races so far.
Significant gains were made across the country in favor of reproductive rights. For the first time in over 30 years, Pennsylvania flipped the state senate blue, leading to a pro-reproductive rights trifecta — meaning there’s now a Democrat majority (and therefore a reproductive freedom majority) in the state Senate, House, and office of the governor. In Wisconsin, Democrats Robyn Vining, Jenna Jacobson, and Trevor Jung all won Republican-held state Senate seats, leading to another Democratic trifecta and strengthening the possibilities of enacting legislation protecting abortion access. In Missouri, Democrats gained 16 seats in the state House and broke Republican supermajorities in both chambers. Michigan and North Carolina voters flipped the state House, which led to Democratic control in Michigan and gave one chamber to North Carolina — a state where reproductive rights have been a major legislative issue. Georgia voters also flipped the House for the first time in over two decades, giving pro-reproductive rights politicians more influence over legislation in a state with a restrictive abortion law.
Reproductive Rights Ballot Measure Victories
There weren’t just victories for reproductive rights in terms of candidates, but in ballot measures as well. In Virginia, voters passed a constitutional amendment protecting reproductive freedom, including abortion, contraception, and miscarriage care. Missouri voters, along with flipping the House, also rejected an attempt to undo abortion rights that were approved in 2024, preserving reproductive freedom in the state. And in Nevada, voters passed Question 6, which gives final approval to an amendment enshrining abortion protections in the Nevada Constitution.
What These Victories Mean For Reproductive Rights Moving Forward
Since the overturning of Roe in 2022, states have had way more authority to restrict or protect reproductive rights. This year’s midterms had a lot on the line for reproductive healthcare, and the outcomes in both state and federal races across the country are substantial. Democrats having control of both the U.S. House and Senate creates possibilities for reproductive rights legislation to be created, but doesn’t automatically guarantee that abortion access will be expanded across states with restrictive legislation. But even without absolute certainty, the outcome of the 2026 midterms offer hope for supporters of reproductive rights.
Looking ahead, the results of this year’s midterms could lead to reproductive rights being a major issue on ballots in the 2028 presidential election cycle due to how much state legislative positions have shifted this year, and with three new Democratic trifectas, the trajectory of reproductive rights in certain states could translate to the federal level when the next election cycle begins.