The Democratic Party has secured control of both chambers of the US Congress in the midterm elections, marking a significant political setback for President Donald Trump and reshaping the balance of power in Washington for the remainder of his term.
According to the latest results, Democrats won 54 of the 100 seats in the Senate, gaining control of the upper chamber, while also crossing the majority mark in the 435-member House of Representatives with 224 seats.
Republicans secured 135 House seats, with vote counting continuing in several constituencies.
The Democrats’ success was powered by a string of victories in key states that have traditionally leaned Republican. In South Carolina, Democratic candidate Annie Andrews defeated Republican Darline Graham to claim a Senate seat, marking the party’s first Senate victory in the state in decades.
In neighbouring North Carolina, former governor Roy Cooper defeated Republican Michael Whatley, adding another crucial Senate seat to the Democratic tally.
The party also recorded a breakthrough in Texas, where Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in a race seen as a major political upset.
The victory was particularly significant as Democrats had not won a statewide election in Texas since 1994. In Ohio, incumbent Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown successfully retained his seat after defeating Republican Jon Husted, while Democrats also registered a notable win in Kansas, where pastor Adam Hamilton defeated Republican Senator Roger Marshall.
With Democrats also making gains in gubernatorial contests and congressional races across the country, the results are expected to have far-reaching implications for the Trump administration’s legislative agenda and its ability to advance key policy priorities through Congress.
Reacting to the outcome, President Trump said he was prepared to accept the voters’ verdict and work with the Democratic Party. In an interview with The New York Times, Trump said he was “absolutely willing” to accept the election results and expressed optimism about finding common ground with the opposition.
“We’ll work with the Democrats, and we’ll look forward to working with them. We’ll probably work something out,” Trump said.
At the same time, the President suggested that Republican losses were partly due to his absence from the ballot and defended his endorsements of several Republican candidates who were defeated. Posting on Truth Social, Trump argued that the outcome would have been markedly different had he been a candidate himself.
Polling in the midterm elections was held for all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, 35 of the 100 Senate seats and 36 governorships.
The results are likely to usher in a new phase of divided government in Washington, with Democrats set to wield significant influence over congressional proceedings, legislative priorities and oversight of the executive branch during the remaining years of Trump’s presidency.
