Democrats Secure Control of Congress in Midterm Election Sweep
Democrats have secured control of both chambers of the US Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, delivering a major setback to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party.
With 348 of the 435 House races called, Democrats had won 220 seats, a net gain of 25, against 128 for Republicans, who lost 25 seats. The party passed the 218-seat threshold required for a majority, officially clinching control of the House of Representatives.
In the Senate, Democrats were leading with 53 seats, including independents, compared with 42 for Republicans, representing a net gain of seven seats. Thirty of the 35 Senate races had been called, with several contests still outstanding. The results would give Democrats control of Congress when the new legislature convenes in January, although Trump will remain in the White House.
The Democratic gains extended across several states, with candidates defeating Republican incumbents in traditionally competitive and Republican-leaning districts. In Indiana, JD Ford flipped the fifth congressional district, which Trump had carried by 17 percentage points in 2024. Christina Bohannan defeated Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks in Iowa, while Sarah Trone Garriott won the state’s third district. Wisconsin Democrats Rebecca Cooke and Mitchell Berman also unseated Republican incumbents.
Democrats achieved significant victories in state elections. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar won the governorship with more than 55% of the vote, becoming the state’s first woman governor. In Arizona, Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs secured re-election by double digits, while the party was also seeking control of the state legislature.
Wisconsin Democrats claimed a political trifecta, winning the governorship, state Senate and state Assembly for the first time since 2010.
In Minnesota, Peggy Flanagan won the Senate race with more than 54% of the vote, defeating Republican Michele Tafoya. Flanagan presented the result as a rejection of Trump’s policies, including immigration enforcement, healthcare cuts and the war in Iran.
Iowa Democrat Josh Turek also won a Senate seat, pledging to address affordability, tariffs and corruption.
The Mississippi Senate race remained exceptionally close, with Democrat Scott Colom leading Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith by just 28 votes with 97% counted. If successful, Colom would become the state’s first Democratic senator since 1982 and its first Black senator since Reconstruction.
Trump blamed Fox News for Republican losses, while Senate Republican leader John Thune vowed to oppose what he described as Democratic extremism.
The results reflected widespread voter dissatisfaction with Trump’s administration and gave Democrats a strong mandate to challenge his agenda during the final two years of his presidency.
via The Guardian
Image Source – NBC
