The key facts

  • Michigan elected Abdul El-Sayed — the first Muslim senator in US history — and Governor Jocelyn Benson
  • In Maine, Democrat Troy Jackson defeated Senator Susan Collins, who had held the seat since 1997
  • In Texas, Gina Ortiz Jones became the first Latina governor of the state, defeating Greg Abbott

Results that exceeded expectations

Democratic voters across the United States celebrated on Wednesday the outcomes of the midterm elections, which, they said, exceeded even the most optimistic expectations. After two years during which the Republican Party controlled the White House and Congress, many described a feeling of euphoria — although they also doubted whether the elected candidates would be able to keep their promises. This is reported by AFP citing voters who were interviewed.

Michigan, Maine and Texas: key victories

Michigan, which voted for Donald Trump in 2024, elected Democrats Abdul El-Sayed — the country's first Muslim senator — and Jocelyn Benson as governor. El-Sayed's race was contentious: Republicans repeatedly accused him of ties to jihadists. In this regard, Dexter Mitchell, a voter from Detroit, remarked:

Collins's fall and the abortion issue

In Maine, Democrat Troy Jackson defeated Republican Susan Collins — a senator since 1997 whose appeal to independents and Democrats had weakened due to the gap between her moderate rhetoric and her voting record. For many voters, the issue of reproductive rights was decisive: Collins's votes to confirm conservative judges during Trump's first term played a role in the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade, which had established a national right to abortion. Jackson entered the race late, after the candidacy of oyster farmer Graham Platner collapsed amid sexual assault allegations; one voter admitted she was voting

Upsets in Texas and cautious optimism

Texas delivered some of the biggest upsets of the night: senator-elect James Talarico and governor-elect Gina Ortiz Jones will be the first Democrats in these posts since the 1990s. Ortiz Jones, who defeated three-term Republican Greg Abbott, is the first Latina to lead the state. Still, not everyone is optimistic: since Democrats failed to win a veto-proof supermajority, law student Ben Neyer said he remains skeptical until he sees real change.