In Summary: Democrats have won control of both chambers of the US Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, overturning Republican majorities after a wave of victories in traditionally conservative states and delivering a major political setback to President Donald Trump.
Washington, USA — Democrats have seized control of both the US Senate and House of Representatives in a sweeping midterm election victory, delivering a major rebuke to President Donald Trump and reshaping the balance of power in Washington.
The victories, recorded in Tuesday’s elections, November 3, 2026, extended into traditionally Republican strongholds, where voters swung towards Democratic candidates amid frustration over the war with Iran, the rising cost of living and dissatisfaction with Trump’s leadership.
The outcome will usher in two years of divided government when the new Congress takes office in January 2027. Democrats are expected to use their majorities to scrutinise the Trump administration, investigate its policies and allies, and exercise greater oversight over presidential appointments and legislation.
The Senate victories included historic gains in Kansas, South Carolina and Texas. Kansas elected its first Democratic senator in nearly a century, while Democrats also overturned Republican dominance in South Carolina, a state Trump won by almost 18 percentage points in 2024.
In Texas, Democrats ended a decades-long losing streak in the Senate race, while also winning the governorship, ending years of Republican control of the state executive.
The results represent a significant shift in the political landscape, particularly because several of the states that changed hands had strongly supported Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer described the outcome as a generational change in the political map, saying Americans had voted for change and that Democrats must now deliver.
The new Senate majority will give Democrats the power to block presidential nominees, including potential US Supreme Court appointments should a vacancy arise. They will also have greater influence over legislation and congressional investigations.
Trump, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third presidential term, accepted the election outcome and congratulated Democrats in an interview with Fox News. He indicated willingness to work with the opposition on some issues, including immigration, but warned that he would veto legislation he considered unreasonable.
The Republican president later dismissed the results on social media, arguing that he would have won by a landslide had he been on the ballot.
Democratic wave across Republican strongholds
Democrats’ campaign focused heavily on corruption, economic pressure and the cost of living, blaming Trump’s tariff policies and the war with Iran for worsening household financial pressures. They also highlighted concerns over the wealth accumulated by members of the president’s family since his return to the White House.
Republicans, led by Trump, sought to mobilise voters around cultural issues, including transgender rights, while portraying Democrats as radical. However, economic concerns appeared to weigh more heavily with voters.
According to Reuters’ analysis of results from about 1,700 counties where most votes had been counted, Democrats made gains across almost every category of county, including wealthy and poorer areas, as well as communities with different levels of educational attainment.
Their advances were particularly pronounced in heavily Latino areas, including counties along the Texas border and agricultural communities in Kansas that had shifted towards Trump in 2024.
In Seward County, Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton led incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall by 13 percentage points, reversing a county result in which Trump had won by 39 points two years earlier.
Democrats also won all 20 closely watched House races that had been decided at the time of the Reuters report, while holding on to most of the seats targeted by Republican efforts to redraw congressional boundaries.
The election also exposed the risks of Trump’s involvement in Republican primaries and candidate selection. Several candidates he supported lost, including in key Senate contests, while other Republicans who tried to distance themselves from the president were unable to escape the broader backlash.
In Maine, Republican Senator Susan Collins lost her seat, ending a Senate career spanning three decades.
Historic firsts in state and congressional races
The election produced several historic milestones across the country.
In Georgia, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms was elected the first Black woman governor in US history. In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa became the state’s first Latina governor, while California elected Xavier Becerra as its first Latino governor.
In Florida, Republican Byron Donalds won the governorship, becoming the first Black Republican elected governor in the United States.
Michigan also elected Democrat Abdul El-Sayed to the Senate, making him the first Muslim to serve in the chamber. He defeated Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman and FBI agent who had Trump’s backing.
El-Sayed told supporters that Michigan had chosen hope over hate, responding to attacks made against him during the campaign.
Voters send message to Trump
Exit polls conducted by SSRS for a consortium of US media organisations, including major television networks and the Associated Press, indicated widespread dissatisfaction with the direction of the country.
About half of voters said they viewed the midterm elections as an opportunity to rebuke Trump, while three-quarters described themselves as angry or dissatisfied with the country’s direction.
The polls also found that 70 per cent of voters wanted Congress to provide 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 depravity, corruption and incompetence.
The outcome is expected to intensify political battles in Washington as Democrats prepare to take control of Congress in January, with investigations and oversight of the Trump administration likely to feature prominently.
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