DEMOCRATS have captured control of both chambers of Congress in the US midterm elections, making sweeping gains in traditionally Republican strongholds in a result that dealt a major electoral setback to President Donald Trump.
The party flipped at least six Republican-held Senate seats, securing a majority even if it loses its own seats in competitive Michigan and Minnesota, while also moving towards control of the House of Representatives after winning at least eight Republican-held districts.
Reuters reported on Wednesday that Democratic victories extended to states that Trump carried comfortably in the 2024 presidential election, including Texas, South Carolina, Iowa and Ohio.
In Kansas, megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton became the first Democrat in nearly a century to win a Senate seat in the state.
In Ohio, Democrat Sherrod Brown reclaimed a Senate seat previously held by Vice-President JD Vance, while Texas state Representative James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney-General Ken Paxton.
In South Carolina, paediatrician Annie Andrews defeated Republican Senator Darline Graham, who had been appointed to the seat following the death of her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham.
Democrats also secured governorships in Texas, Iowa and Ohio. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a three-term Republican incumbent, lost to Democrat Gina Hinojosa.
The results reflected widespread voter dissatisfaction with Trump's handling of the economy and his decision to launch a war against Iran in February, which sent petrol prices sharply higher.
Exit polls conducted by SSRS for a consortium of US media organisations found that half of voters viewed the midterm elections as an opportunity to rebuke Trump, while three-quarters said they were angry or dissatisfied with the direction of the country.
About 70 per cent said they wanted Congress to provide stronger checks and balances on the president.
Trump, who campaigned extensively for Republican candidates in the final weeks, had urged supporters to vote as though he himself was on the ballot.
As the scale of Republican losses became apparent, he wrote on social media that Republicans would have won "IN A LANDSLIDE" had he been on the ballot.
In Georgia, incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, projected to retain his seat, said the results showed that Americans had rejected what he described as Trump's "depravity, corruption and incompetence".
In Florida, Republican Senator Ashley Moody narrowly held off Democrat Angie Nixon, leading by about three percentage points in a state Trump had won by 13 points in 2024.
Democrats also retained three Florida House districts that Republican lawmakers had redrawn earlier this year, despite the districts having backed Trump by at least nine percentage points in the presidential election. - November 4, 2026
