US Midterms: Democrats win Senate and House, taking control of Congress from Republicans
Democrats needed a net gain of four seats in the Senate and three in the House to take control of Congress as President Trump distanced himself from mounting Republican losses.
Democrats have regained control of Congress, winning back the U.S. House and Senate as Republican midterm losses mount.
Coming into the night, Republicans held 53 of the Senate’s 100 seats, compared with 45 held by Democrats. To wrest back control of the Senate, Democrats needed a net gain of at least four seats. Before the clock struck midnight on the East Coast, the Associated Press said the party would gain at least that amount.
Democrats won a series of key Senate seats. In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed defeated Mike Rogers in one of the most closely watched races. James Talarico beat Republican Ken Paxton in Texas, becoming the first Democrat to win a U.S. Senate seat in the Lone Star State since 1988.
Annie Andrews beat GOP Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina to flip a Senate seat. In Maine, Democrat Troy Jackson defeated incumbent GOP Sen. Susan Collins, putting an end to her three-decade tenure. Sen. Jon Ossoff comfortably won reelection in Georgia. Other Senate seats to flip to the Democratic Party included Roy Cooper in North Carolina and Sherrod Brown in Ohio.
In the 435-seat House, the GOP held 218 seats, compared with 214 held by Democrats. To retake control of the House, Democrats needed a net gain of three seats — and the AP said early Wednesday that the party had exceeded that figure.
There were also 36 gubernatorial races and numerous ballot measures to keep an eye on. Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms of Georgia became the first Black woman elected governor in U.S. history, while Democrat Amy Acton became the first woman elected governor of Ohio. In Florida, Republican Byron Donalds became the state’s first Black governor-elect.
President Trump, whose approval ratings are at or near all-time lows, distanced himself from mounting Republican losses in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday night, “I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!” Trump wrote. “Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed wins closely watched Senate race in Michigan
Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has defeated Republican Mike Rogers to become the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate in American history, according to the AP.
El-Sayed became one of the breakout names of the midterm cycle thanks to his often confrontational approach to political discourse, willingness to challenge members of his own party and the cascade of criticism he faced from Republicans and some moderate Democrats throughout the campaign.
El-Sayed is a progressive Democrat who supports policies like Medicare for All and ending U.S. military aid to Israel. He won a closely contested Democratic primary against Rep. Haley Stevens, who then surprised even her own staff by endorsing Rogers two days before Election Day.
El-Sayed’s victory stops the GOP from flipping one of the few Democratic-held Senate seats that were considered vulnerable in a midterm cycle where Republicans were mostly on the defensive across the rest of the country.
El-Sayed: ‘We did what they said couldn’t be done’
Abdul El-Sayed has posted a celebratory message after becoming the first-ever Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate.
“Michigan, we did what they said couldn’t be done. We won. Together,” he wrote.
In an earlier rally, in which he declared victory, El-Sayed told the crowd: “I am so proud to stand here as your senator-elect for the great state of Michigan.”
He added: “Michigan I cannot wait to serve you with the same big-heartedness, open-mindedness, grit and earnestness that you’ve shown me.”
Darline Graham mentions ‘beloved brother’ Lindsey in post
Sen. Darline Graham has penned a heartfelt message referencing her late brother, former South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, after losing her bid to retain the seat for the Republican Party.
Darline Graham had served as Lindsey Graham’s temporary replacement in South Carolina following his death in July.
However, voters in the Palmetto State voted in Democrat Annie Andrews over Graham by a margin of around 4.4 percentage points.
“While tonight’s result was not what we hoped for, I am grateful for every supporter, volunteer, staff member, friend, and family member who stood beside us,” Graham wrote in a post to X.
“After losing my beloved brother Lindsey, your prayers and kindness carried our family through some of our hardest days. That love means more than words can express.”
Mississippi Senate race separated by 28 votes with 97% of votes counted
Incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde‑Smith is trailing her Democratic challenger Scott Colom by a remarkably narrow margin with the vast majority of votes in the state counted, according to updated counts from the Associated Press.
The contest had been mostly ignored for much of the midterm cycle, but was identified as an unexpectedly competitive race in the weeks before Election Day. Still, forecasters viewed Mississippi as a likely GOP win as recently as Monday, a classification that certainly didn’t portend what has developed into the closest nail-biter of the midterms.
Trump rails against Fox News election coverage, then calls in to complain
President Trump spent part of his Election Day and night watching Fox News, lashing out at the network’s coverage in posts on Truth Social.
Trump complained that its polling results were “the worst” and disparaging co-host Jessica Tarlov, who he called “DUMB AS A ROCK.”
At one point, the president said Fox News “bears responsibility” for the GOP’s mounting midterm election losses, blaming the conservative news network for the “Blue Tsunami.”
Then he called into Fox News host Bret Baier’s show to register his complaints.
“I read at Fox that I’m not popular,” he said. “The Fox polls are terrible. You ought to get yourself a good pollster ’cause your polls are the worst.”
Baier countered: “But tonight actually the results are pretty close to what the Fox polls showed.”
“Well, I don’t know about that,” Trump replied.
The president, who spent the last month campaigning for Republicans in swing states, said he was a “little bit surprised” by the lackluster results.
“I thought they’d do better,” he said. “We had tremendous rallies.”
Democrats flip the House to clinch full control of Congress
Democrats have crossed the threshold of 218 seats needed to cement a majority in the House of Representatives and clinch control of both chambers of Congress for the final two years of President Trump’s White House tenure.
Republicans entered Election Day holding a very narrow House majority, which meant Democrats only needed to flip a small number of seats to take over the chamber.
Earlier on Tuesday, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the favorite to become the next House Speaker, told Democratic volunteers in his home state of New York that his party would “deliver a Congress that actually puts the American people first.”
Democrat Troy Jackson wins closely watched Senate race in Maine
The Democrats’ hastily selected nominee, Troy Jackson, defeated incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins to flip yet another red Senate seat for his party.
Jackson, a former logger and longtime state lawmaker, was chosen at an emergency convention in July after the Democratic primary winner, Graham Platner, dropped out of the race amid a flurry of controversies — including a sexual assault allegation that he denied.
Democrats had been targeting Collins’s seat for decades, but she managed to fend off challenger after challenger, at times significantly outperforming other Republicans across the country during her five terms in the Senate. Collins, 73, has been in the Senate for nearly 30 years and is the longest-serving Republican woman in the chamber’s history.
Amy Klobuchar becomes 1st woman elected governor of Minnesota
Longtime Democratic Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar was elected the state’s first woman governor on Tuesday, defeating Republican Lisa Demuth in the race to replace Gov. Tim Walz, who dropped his bid for a third term in January.
Demuth won the Republican gubernatorial primary without the endorsement of President Trump, who had backed the founder of MyPillow, Mike Lindell.
Klobuchar, who ran for president in 2020, has served in the U.S. Senate since 2007.
If she resigns from the Senate before her inauguration as governor, Walz will appoint her successor. But if she does not, Klobuchar will then appoint her own successor. Either way, a special election will be held in November 2027 to fill the remainder of her Senate term.
James Talarico: ‘Tonight we defeated Goliath’
James Talarico on Tuesday became the first Democrat since 1988 elected to the Senate in Texas. In his victory speech, he compared his win to the biblical story of David and Goliath.
“In this race, we went up against our own Goliaths,” he said at a victory rally Tuesday night, referring to the combined challenge of facing the Republican Party, President Trump and the world’s richest man, Elon Musk. Musk reportedly contributed $150 million to support the Republican campaigns in Texas, including Ken Paxton’s.
“You were my slingshot,” he told supporters. “The people of Texas were my slingshot. Tonight, we defeated Goliath.”
“We didn’t win this race by alienating our neighbors or shaming our neighbors or ridiculing our neighbors,” he continued. “We embodied a new kind of politics. A politics rooted in a deep love for our state, for our country and, most importantly, for all of our neighbors.”
Minnesota Democrat Peggy Flanagan becomes 1st Native American woman elected to the Senate
Flanagan, a member of the Ojibwe Nation, defeated former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya to defend a key swing-state Senate seat for Democrats.
The win for Flanagan, the state’s current lieutenant governor, marks a significant step for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party as she prepares to replace the outgoing incumbent Sen. Tina Smith, a relative moderate.
Trump blames Greg Abbott for losing the Texas governor’s race
President Trump accused Texas Gov. Greg Abbott of dooming his own reelection campaign by becoming a “RINO” — short for “Republican in Name Only” — in the final stages of his campaign.
Abbott was defeated by Democrat Gina Hinojosa, who became the first member of her party elected to lead the Lone Star State in more than 30 years.
“He went back to his original formula, and it wasn’t pretty!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
In a separate post a few minutes later, the president said he was “going to become a Political Pundit” to discuss the reasons that various Republicans across the country came up short on Tuesday.
Democrat David Crowley to become Wisconsin’s 1st Black governor
Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Crowley speaks at an election night event Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee.
David Crowley. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photo: Nam Y. Huh/AP)
Crowley’s victory over Republican Tom Tiffany marks the culmination of a remarkable comeback after his campaign appeared all but over during the Democratic gubernatorial primary.
Crowley, who is currently the top elected official in Milwaukee County, had dropped out of the race a month before primary day amid polls that showed democratic socialist Francesca Hong with a seemingly insurmountable lead. But Crowley relaunched his campaign and narrowly defeated Hong to become the Democratic Party’s nominee.
His victory keeps the Wisconsin governor’s mansion under Democratic control.
Democrats have won control of the Senate
Democrats have ended Republicans’ control over the upper chamber of Congress after securing a series of stunning victories in historically red states, including in Texas, South Carolina and Kansas.
Though some close races remain undecided, Democrats secured a net gain of at least four seats, to win a Senate majority for the final two years of President Trump’s tenure in the White House. Majority control will give Democrats the power to block parts of Trump’s legislative agenda, allow them to conduct sweeping investigations into his administration and reject his nominees for key positions for the remainder of his presidency.
Iowa Democrat Josh Turek flips another Senate seat for Democrats
Democrat Josh Turek has defeated Republican Ashley Hinson to flip a key Senate seat in the Hawkeye State, according to the AP.
Turek, a state lawmaker and two-time Paralympic gold medalist, is a relative moderate who describes himself as a “prairie populist.” He focused heavily throughout the campaign on Trump’s tariffs and the war with Iran, which have contributed to price increases that have hit Midwest farming communities especially hard — particularly with the major spike in the cost of diesel fuel.
Turek, who will fill the seat being vacated by outgoing Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, is the first Democrat to win a Senate race in Iowa since 2008.
Adam Hamilton flips Kansas Senate seat to become the state’s 1st Democratic senator since the Great Depression
The AP called the race for Hamilton at 11:24 p.m. ET, more than three hours after the last polls closed there.
Hamilton, 61, is a former Republican who considered running as an independent before deciding to seek the Sunflower State’s Democratic nomination. He describes himself as “a liberal conservative and a conservative liberal.”
Marshall embraced the Trump agenda and explicitly told voters, “If you want [it] to continue, you need to come out, because we delivered on those things.”
Both candidates faced controversy. Marshall pushed back on reports that he sued hundreds of patients over unpaid medical bills during his decades-long career as an obstetrician-gynecologist, calling the allegations “blatant lies.” And Hamilton admitted he made a “mistake” by failing to bar a volunteer who had previously been accused of sexual abuse in 2005 from going on a retreat where he allegedly abused another boy. Prosecutors later declined to file charges in that case.
Rob Sand becomes 1st Democrat elected Iowa governor in 20 years
As state auditor — and before that, as Iowa’s assistant attorney general — Sand developed a reputation as a “happy warrior for nonpartisan technocratic efficiency and anti-corruption,” a leading progressive activist recently told the Atlantic. He has also downplayed his allegiance to the national Democratic Party, calling it “the lesser of two evils.”
Such positioning has made Sand perhaps the most popular politician in a state where registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by almost 200,000.
Sand’s opponent, Lahn, narrowly upset Trump’s pick, Rep. Randy Feenstra, in this summer’s Republican primary. A Kansas resident until 2023, Lahn struggled to overcome accusations of carpetbagging.
Texas Democrat Gina Hinojosa upsets 3-term Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to become state’s 1st Latina governor
Gina Hinojosa has defeated Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, to become the state’s first Democratic governor in more than 30 years — and its first Latina governor ever.
Abbott conceded to Hinojosa around 11 p.m. ET, and the Associated Press called the race several minutes later.
“After looking at all the details of every county in the entire state, I made the decision to call Gina Hinojosa and congratulate her on winning this race for governor of the state of Texas,” he said in a speech. “There are still votes to be counted, but mathematically, we’re not going to be able to win this election.”
Hinojosa’s victory was a major upset. Abbott has been governor of Texas since 2015; he was seeking a fourth term. Before that, Abbott was Texas attorney general for more than a dozen years. He’s perhaps the most familiar Republican politician in a state where Republicans have long dominated politics.
But even Abbott was at risk this cycle. Beyond the overall environment — which favors Democrats — the governor faced backlash over Flock cameras, school privatization, data centers and his close ties to Trump.
Hinojosa, who pitched herself as more “populist” than “progressive,” proved a formidable challenger. She initially gained prominence pushing back against Abbott’s plans to privatize Texas schools — then parlayed that attention into a successful gubernatorial bid.
Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown wins comeback Senate bid, flipping another Republican seat
Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown has defeated incumbent Republican Sen. Jon Husted to book a return ticket to the U.S. Senate, where he previously served from 2007 to 2025, according to the AP.
The AP called the race for Brown at 11:10 p.m. ET.
Brown lost his long-held seat to Republican Bernie Moreno in the 2024 election. But after former Ohio Sen. JD Vance resigned to become vice president — and after then-Lt. Gov. Husted was appointed to replace him — Brown decided to launch a comeback bid.
President Trump repeatedly campaigned for Husted in the closing days of the midterms, praising his physique — Husted played college football — as much as his policies. Meanwhile, Brown kept hammering his blue-collar message about the “dignity of work.” Brown ultimately edged Husted in a state that has been trending Republican for years.
Democrat Amy Acton defeats Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio governor’s race marked by controversial ad
Amy Acton, the Democrat whose estranged mother was featured in a widely criticized ad created by the campaign of her Republican opponent, Vivek Ramaswamy, won the Ohio governor’s race, becoming the first woman in the state’s history to be elected governor.
The Associated Press called it for Acton at 10:49 p.m. ET.
The ad drew broad criticism from Democrats as well as some of Ohio’s most prominent Republicans, including Gov. Mike DeWine. Ramaswamy, President Trump and Vice President JD Vance all defended the ad.
Acton, a pediatrician and former head of the Ohio Department of Health, has been open about her “difficult” childhood, including the allegations of sexual abuse she made against her stepfather when she was a child. Acton’s mother, Donna Arthur, sided with her stepfather and denied the allegations. Both women say they have not seen or spoken to each other since a court hearing in which Acton testified against her stepfather nearly 50 years ago.
Democrat James Talarico flips Texas Senate seat, ending decades of Republican dominance
Democrat James Talarico, a 37-year-old state legislator and former seminarian, has defeated Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to become the first Texas Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate since 1988, according to the AP.
The AP called the race for Talarico at 11:03 p.m. ET, about three hours after the last polls closed there.
Talarico’s progressive politics, even-keeled demeanor and unapologetic Christian faith helped build a broad base of support among Texas voters. He maintained a steady — if small — lead in the polls in the months leading up to Election Day.
Paxton was a favorite of President Trump’s MAGA base, but he also faced a series of controversies: a suspension from office after being impeached on accusations of abusing his office to help a real estate investor (he was later acquitted by the Texas Senate); a 2015 indictment on securities fraud charges that were dismissed in 2024; and a recent divorce filing by his wife, a Republican state senator who accused him of adultery.
New Mexico Democrat Deb Haaland to become 1st Native American woman governor in the U.S.
Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo, comfortably defeated Gregg Hull in the solidly blue state.
She will replace outgoing Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is term-limited. Haaland served one term in the House of Representatives before being named interior secretary by former President Joe Biden.
