Washington ; US President Donald Trump has suffered a major political setback after Democrats swept to control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections, overturning Republican strongholds and delivering a sharp rebuke to his presidency.
The scale of the Democratic victory became clear as results came in on Tuesday night, with the party making gains across the country, including in states that had long been considered safe Republican territory.
Democrats won Senate seats in Kansas for the first time since 1932, in Texas for the first time since 1988 and in South Carolina for the first time since 1998. They also secured more than two dozen House districts, giving them a majority in both chambers of Congress.
The House and Senate have changed hands between parties in the same midterm election only three times since the Second World War – in 1946, 1994 and 2006. The 2026 result marks the fourth such occasion.
The new Democratic majorities will give the party significant powers to scrutinise the Trump administration, challenge its policies and block some Presidential appointments.
With counting continuing in a handful of Senate races and 68 House contests yet to be declared, Democrats were on course for a larger congressional majority than many had anticipated.
Trump made his first public appearance after the election on Wednesday at the construction site of his controversial White House ballroom. Rather than addressing the scale of the Republican defeat or its implications, he focused on the building project and other renovations in Washington.
“I grew up on construction sites,” he told the gathering.
The President had spent weeks urging voters to treat the midterms as a referendum on his leadership, despite not being on the ballot himself. After the results, he appeared to distance himself from the outcome, writing on social media: “I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!”
The White House also posted a message on Instagram declaring: “PSA: TRUMP IS STILL YOUR President.”
But the political consequences of the defeat were already emerging. Vice-President JD Vance attributed the Republican losses to the war with Iran, which has contributed to higher fuel prices and growing public dissatisfaction.
“The reason we lost is the war,” Vance wrote on X. “If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that’s at least honest.”
Asked whether he agreed, Trump said: “I think it’s largely true because it drove the gasoline up a little bit, but at the same time, if I had to do it again, I’d have to do it again.”
The President’s party also faced a leadership setback in the House, with Speaker Mike Johnson indicating that he would not seek another term as Republican leader when Democrats take control in January.
The election reflected discontent among voters over several issues, including the cost of living, inflation, Trump’s tariffs and the war with Iran. Both Democratic and Republican voters expressed anger over the administration’s policies.
Republican Strongholds Fall
Some of the most striking results came from states that Republicans had long regarded as secure.
Texas delivered a double blow to the party. Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton to become the first Democrat elected to the state’s Senate delegation since 1988. In the governor’s race, Gina Hinojosa defeated incumbent Greg Abbott, becoming Texas’s first Democratic governor in 36 years and its first Latina to hold the office.
The Democratic victories marked a significant shift in a state that has been a stronghold of Republican power. Trump’s immigration crackdown, particularly its impact on Hispanic communities, had become a major issue during the campaign.
In Michigan, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers in a closely watched Senate contest, becoming the first Muslim elected to the US Senate.
El-Sayed, a doctor and progressive candidate, had faced attacks from Trump and other critics over his faith and background. Trump had called him a “jihadist” and suggested he would need to pass through a metal detector to enter the Senate.
“They want an America that is too small for some of us,” El-Sayed said after his victory. “We know that America is big enough for all of us.”
Kansas also recorded a historic result, with Democrat Adam Hamilton defeating incumbent Republican Roger Marshall. It was the first time in nearly a century that the state had elected a Democrat to the Senate.
Marshall had faced criticism after reports emerged that he had sued hundreds of former patients over unpaid medical bills while working as a doctor.
In South Carolina, Democrat Annie Andrews defeated Darline Graham, the sister of the late Republican senator Lindsey Graham. The victory marked the first time the state had elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1998. Trump had personally encouraged Graham to contest the seat.
Maine delivered another major upset, with Republican Senator Susan Collins conceding defeat to Democrat Troy Jackson shortly before 01:00 local time. Collins had held the seat for nearly three decades.
In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom was narrowly ahead of Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith, although the race remained too close to call.
Democrats Consolidate Gains
The Democratic advance extended beyond the Senate and House races.
In Georgia, Jon Ossoff won re-election to the Senate, defeating Trump-backed challenger Mike Collins. His victory came early in the evening and provided an indication of the scale of the Democratic gains to follow.
In North Carolina, former governor Roy Cooper defeated Michael Whatley, the former Republican National Committee chairman, to flip a Senate seat for Democrats.
The party also made significant gains in gubernatorial and state legislative contests. Democrats flipped five governorships, all in states Trump had carried in the 2024 Presidential election, bringing their total to 29 – the first time in a generation they had controlled a majority of US governorships.
The party also gained at least 330 state legislative seats, securing full control of 22 state governments and becoming the majority in 12 additional state legislative chambers.
Democrats are now positioned to shape policy on healthcare, voting and taxation in states where they had been out of power for years, including Texas, Georgia and North Carolina.
In Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Nevada, Democrats will control both chambers of the state legislature as well as the governor’s office. They were also close to securing the same level of control in Arizona.
