The key facts

  • Democrats, according to projections, won majorities in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections.
  • Upset victories were recorded in states that backed Trump in 2024: Kansas, Texas, Ohio, Iowa, and South Carolina.
  • Donald Trump said his name was not on the ballot and that, had it been, Republicans would have won by a wide margin.

Forecasts: Democrats take both chambers of Congress

According to projections by American media outlets published after the U.S. midterm elections, the Democratic Party has gained control of both chambers of Congress. This marks a major political defeat for President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. The scale of the 'blue wave' was still being clarified on Wednesday morning, but the results pointed to widespread voter discontent with the Trump administration — above all over the economy, the rising cost of living, and the war against Iran launched in February.

Upsets in Republican states

Democrats achieved success beyond their traditional strongholds, winning key races in states that voted overwhelmingly for Trump in 2024. In Kansas, megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton won a Senate seat — the first Democrat elected to the Senate from that state since the Great Depression. In Ohio, Sherrod Brown reclaimed the Senate seat once held by Vice President JD Vance, defeating a Republican in a state that Trump won by a double-digit margin in 2024. In Texas, state legislator James Talarico edged out Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, despite significant outside spending to defend the seat. In South Carolina, pediatrician Annie Andrews defeated Senator Lindsey Graham — in a state that Trump carried in 2024 by a margin of nearly 18 percentage points.

The Senate and the House of Representatives

Democrats, according to projections, flipped at least six Republican Senate seats, securing a majority even as competitive races in Michigan and Minnesota were still being counted. This changes the balance of power in Washington: the party gains control over the Senate's legislative agenda, committee leadership, and confirmation procedures. In Georgia, incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff was reelected and called the election a rejection of the Trump administration in his victory speech: 'In decisive victories, the American people have rejected the depravity, corruption, and incompetence of failed lame-duck President Donald J. Trump.' Trump responded to the Republicans' mounting losses on social media: 'I wasn't on the ballot, and if I had been, we would have won in a landslide!'

The House of Representatives and gubernatorial races

Democrats, according to projections, are also gaining control of the House of Representatives, flipping at least 15 Republican districts, including seats in Kentucky, New Jersey, and North Carolina. The success extended beyond Congress: in Texas, Gina Ortiz Jones defeated three-term Republican Governor Greg Abbott, while Democratic candidates also won governorships in Iowa and Ohio. Note that all figures cited are media projections from an early stage of vote counting; final official results were not provided in the publication.