Democrats have scored sweeping victories in the 2026 US midterm elections, reportedly taking control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives in a major setback for President Donald Trump and his Republican Party.
The results mark a dramatic political shift in several traditionally conservative areas, where voters who supported Trump in the 2024 presidential election moved towards Democratic candidates.
The reported swing was driven by frustration over the war involving Iran, concerns about the rising cost of living and dissatisfaction with the president’s handling of national affairs.
Historic Democratic Gains
Democrats made significant advances in several Republican strongholds.
In Kansas, voters reportedly elected the state’s first Democratic senator since the Great Depression. In South Carolina, Democrats defeated Trump’s preferred Senate candidate in a state the president had won comfortably in 2024.
Texas also saw a major political shift, with Democrats reportedly ending a decades-long losing streak in the state, winning a Senate seat and defeating three-term Governor Greg Abbott.
Democratic candidate Amy Acton also defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the Ohio gubernatorial race, according to the report.
The results are expected to usher in a period of divided government in Washington after two years of Republican control of Congress.
Democrats Prepare to Challenge Trump
Once the newly elected lawmakers take office in January, Democrats are expected to use their congressional majorities to increase scrutiny of Trump’s administration, family and political allies.
A Democratic-controlled Senate would also gain the power to block presidential nominees, including appointments to the US Supreme Court if a vacancy arises.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer described the results as a major political transformation.
“There is now a generational remake of the Senate map that is going to change America,” Schumer said, adding that voters had demanded change and Democrats must now deliver.
The new political balance could also weaken Trump’s influence as attention gradually shifts towards the 2028 presidential election and potential Republican successors.
Trump, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third presidential term, accepted the reported election outcome and congratulated Democrats during an interview with Fox News. He also indicated a willingness to work with them on issues such as immigration, while warning that he would veto legislation he considered unreasonable.
Cost of Living Drives Democratic Wave
Democrats centred their campaigns on affordability and allegations of corruption, blaming Trump’s tariff policies and the Iran war for increasing economic pressure on American households.
They also highlighted the business interests and financial gains of the president’s family since his return to the White House.
Republicans, meanwhile, focused on cultural issues, including transgender rights, while portraying Democratic candidates as politically extreme.
However, economic concerns appeared to dominate voters’ priorities.
Trump Faces Major Political Test as Americans Vote in Midterm Elections
According to county-level tallies compiled by Reuters and USA Today, Democrats made gains across a broad range of communities, including wealthy and low-income areas, as well as counties with different levels of educational attainment.
Their advances were particularly significant in heavily Latino communities, including Texas border counties and agricultural towns in Kansas.
In Seward County, Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton reportedly led Republican incumbent Senator Roger Marshall by 13 percentage points. Trump had carried the county by 39 points in 2024.
Trump’s Endorsed Candidates Suffer Defeats
Trump’s personal involvement in several election campaigns did not prevent Republican losses.
In Texas, he backed state Attorney General Ken Paxton against incumbent Senator John Cornyn. In South Carolina, he supported Darline Graham in the Senate contest.
Both candidates reportedly lost.
Republican Senator Susan Collins also lost her seat in Maine, bringing her three-decade Senate career to an end despite her efforts to distance herself from Trump during the campaign.
Democrats also won all 20 of the closely contested House races decided at the time of the report. Republican efforts to redraw congressional districts to improve their electoral prospects largely failed to prevent Democratic gains.
Abdul El-Sayed Makes History
One of the election’s most notable developments was the reported victory of progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan’s open Senate race.
El-Sayed defeated former congressman and FBI agent Mike Rogers, becoming the first Muslim elected to the US Senate.
Rogers had Trump’s backing and had sought to portray El-Sayed as a religious extremist, claims that El-Sayed’s supporters rejected.
“You chose hate, and Michigan chose hope,” El-Sayed told supporters during his victory celebration.
The report also highlighted historic gubernatorial victories, including Keisha Lance Bottoms becoming the first Black woman elected governor of a US state, Byron Donalds becoming the first Black Republican governor and Gina Hinojosa becoming Texas’s first Latina governor.
Xavier Becerra was also reported to have won the California gubernatorial race, becoming the state’s first Latino governor.
Exit Polls Show Widespread Dissatisfaction
Exit polls conducted by SSRS for a consortium of US media organisations indicated widespread dissatisfaction with the country’s direction.
Half of the voters surveyed reportedly viewed the midterm elections as an opportunity to rebuke Trump, while three-quarters said they were angry or dissatisfied with the way the country was heading.
Around 70% also said they wanted Congress to exercise stronger checks and balances on the president.
Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia described the results as a decisive rejection of what he called the president’s corruption and incompetence.
Trump, however, rejected the suggestion that the results reflected his personal popularity, saying on social media that Republicans would have won by a landslide if he had been on the ballot.
With control of Congress reportedly shifting to Democrats, the election results could significantly reshape Trump’s remaining time in office and intensify political battles in Washington ahead of the 2028 presidential race.
