Democrats seized control of the US Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections, overturning Republican majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives as voters delivered a sweeping rebuke of President Donald Trump amid growing dissatisfaction over the economy and his administration's policies.
As of press time, Democrats had secured 224 seats in the 435-member House of Representatives, compared with 133 for Republicans, with 78 seats still undecided, according to the latest election tally. The Democrats surpassed the 218 seats required for a majority, ending Republican control of the chamber.
In the Senate, Democrats flipped at least seven Republican-held seats, exceeding the four-seat net gain needed to secure a majority, according to Reuters and The Associated Press.
The Democratic victories extended into traditionally conservative states, including Texas, South Carolina, and Kansas, where Republicans had held Senate seats for decades.
In Texas, Democratic state lawmaker James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, becoming the first Democrat elected to the state's US Senate since 1988.
"We just took back Texas," Talarico told supporters in Austin. "We just showed that a politics of division is no match for a politics of love."
Democrats also won Republican-held Senate seats in North Carolina, Maine, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, and South Carolina, according to AP projections.
In Maine, former state legislator Troy Jackson defeated longtime Republican Senator Susan Collins, while former Democratic senator Sherrod Brown reclaimed a Senate seat in Ohio.
Democratic victories extended to gubernatorial contests, with Gina Hinojosa defeating Republican Governor Greg Abbott in Texas and Keisha Lance Bottoms winning the governorship in Georgia.
In the House, Democrats flipped Republican-held districts in states including North Carolina, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Colorado. Republican efforts to redraw more favorable congressional boundaries also failed to prevent Democratic victories in several contested districts.
The results reflect widespread frustration with rising living costs — including gasoline, groceries, and healthcare expenses — as well as public opposition to the US war with Iran.
The election marked the first nationwide electoral test of Trump's second presidency and could significantly constrain his administration's legislative agenda during its remaining two years.
Trump acknowledged the Democratic victories and indicated a willingness to cooperate with the opposition.
"We'll, you know, look forward to working with them," Trump told The New York Times. "We'll probably work something out."
As vote counting continues in several states, the election outcome is expected to reshape Washington's policymaking during the remaining two years of Trump's presidency. Democrats could use their congressional majorities to increase oversight and challenge administration policies, while Trump would retain his presidential veto power and executive authority, according to Reuters.
