Democrats have taken full control of US Congress, with voters delivering a forceful repudiation of President Donald Trump’s agenda, coupled with a clear-cut message that Congress has not done enough to provide checks on his administration.
The Democratic takeover will reverberate widely. With majorities in both chambers, the Trump administration will now have to contend with checks and investigations it avoided with a compliant Congress in Republican hands. The election results could influence the makeup of the Supreme Court, the arc of the 2028 presidential race and the fate of Trump’s legislative plans in the back half of his term.
Democrats notably seized control of the US Senate in a sweeping midterm victory, flipping six Republican-held seats and making major gains in the House of Representatives, dealing a devastating blow to President Donald Trump and his party.
In Texas, Democrat James Talarico defeated Trump-backed Republican Ken Paxton, becoming the first Democrat to win statewide office in the Republican stronghold since 1994.
In South Carolina, Democrat Annie Andrews pulled off another historic upset, defeating Senator Darline Graham, the sister of the late Lindsey Graham, in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1998. Trump personally campaigned for Graham despite opposition from influential local Republicans.
In North Carolina, former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper defeated Trump-backed Michael Whatley, flipping the seat vacated by retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis.
In Kansas, Methodist pastor Adam Hamilton unseated Republican Senator Roger Marshall, becoming the first Democrat elected to the Senate from the state since 1932.
In Iowa, Democratic state lawmaker Josh Turek defeated Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, flipping the seat vacated by retiring Senator Joni Ernst.
In Ohio, former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown staged a political comeback, defeating Republican incumbent Jon Husted and reclaiming the seat he lost just two years earlier.
The six Republican-held Senate seats flipped by Democrats helped the party seize control of the chamber, according to projections by the Associated Press and Decision Desk HQ.
Democrats have also flipped at least seven Republican-held House seats, including victories in North Carolina, New Jersey, Kentucky and Pennsylvania, overturning the GOP’s already slim majority.
Republicans entered election night controlling the Senate 53-47, while holding a margin of just a few seats in the House. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 Senate seats are being contested, alongside governorships in 36 states.
The elections have been dominated by concerns over rising living costs and the economic fallout from the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has disrupted global energy markets and pushed fuel prices higher. Trump has blamed Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries for exacerbating the diesel shortage and has reached a deal with Moscow to secure additional supplies.
Support for Israel and funding for Ukraine have also exposed divisions over Washington’s priorities and spending abroad. A Democratic takeover could obstruct the Trump administration’s legislative agenda and open the way for investigations into the president.
The results were so bleak that Trump quickly ran away from them Tuesday evening. Trump said on social media that, in fact, he was not on the ballot, and that’s why Republicans lost: “I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!”
