Washington [US], Nov 4 – Democrats have seized control of both chambers of the US Congress in a sweeping midterm victory with voters turning against President Donald Trump and his Republicans over the war with Iran, rising living costs and his handling of the country.
The victories marked a dramatic shift in traditionally Republican strongholds including Kansas, South Carolina and Texas where Democrats made historic gains in Tuesday’s elections.
Kansas elected its first Democratic senator in nearly a century while Democrats defeated Trump’s preferred Senate candidate in South Carolina, a state the president won by nearly 18 points in 2024.
In Texas, Democrats ended a decades-long losing streak, winning a Senate seat and defeating three-term Governor Greg Abbott.
The results will usher in divided government in Washington from January, ending two years of Republican control of Congress, during which lawmakers rarely used their powers to check Trump’s administration.
With control of the House and Senate, Democrats are expected to launch investigations into the Trump administration, his family and allies, seek concessions on major legislation and block presidential nominees.
The Democratic victories also dealt a blow to Trump’s influence within the Republican Party, as attention increasingly turns to the 2028 presidential election and potential successors.
Trump accepted the election outcome and congratulated Democrats in an interview with Fox News. He said he would work with them on issues such as immigration but threatened to veto what he called any “insane” bills.
Democrats campaigned heavily on corruption and affordability, blaming Trump’s tariff policies and the war with Iran for rising costs. They also highlighted the billions of dollars the Trump family has made since his return to the White House.
Republicans, meanwhile focused on cultural issues including transgender rights, portraying Democrats as radical and extreme. However, voters appeared more concerned about economic pressures.
According to exit polls conducted by SSRS for a consortium of US media outlets, including major television networks and the Associated Press, half of voters said they viewed the midterms as an opportunity to rebuke Trump. Three-quarters said they were angry or dissatisfied with the direction of the country, while 70 per cent wanted Congress to provide greater checks and balances on the president.
Democrats also won all 20 of the most competitive House races decided so far, while Republicans lost ground in all but a handful of about 1,700 counties where most votes had been counted, according to tallies compiled by Reuters and USA Today.
Several historic milestones also marked the elections. Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor of a US state in Georgia, while Republican Byron Donalds won Florida’s gubernatorial race, becoming the country’s first Black Republican governor.
Democrat Gina Hinojosa will become Texas’ first Latina governor while Xavier Becerra will become California’s first Latino governor.
Some Senate races in Mississippi, Michigan and Alaska remained too close to call early Wednesday.
