Democrats have won control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections, a result that reshapes the balance of power in Washington for the remainder of Donald Trump’s presidency. The projected outcomes delivered a series of victories in states Trump carried comfortably two years ago, alongside a string of barrier-breaking firsts that party supporters celebrated late into election night.
A breakthrough in Texas
Two statewide wins in Texas ended a run of Democratic defeats stretching back nearly two generations. James Talarico secured a US Senate seat, while Gina Hinojosa was elected governor, becoming the first Latina to hold the state’s highest office. Supporters at Talarico’s election-night party reacted with disbelief and elation as the projections arrived.
The party’s gains extended to Kansas, where Adam Hamilton won a closely contested Senate race, giving the state its first Democratic senator in almost a century.
Jeffries poised for Speaker role
Hakeem Jeffries, the top Democrat in the House, is now positioned to become Speaker, succeeding Republican Mike Johnson. If colleagues retain him as leader of the party’s House delegation, he would be the first black person to hold the Speaker’s gavel. Addressing supporters, Jeffries framed the result as the start of a national comeback.
Trump strikes conciliatory tone
Speaking to US media outlets through the evening, Trump acknowledged that Democrats had done a good job and said he would accept the results, expressing a willingness to work with the opposition. He noted, however, that he retains presidential veto power over legislation passed by Congress.
The president also distanced himself from some Republican candidates, saying that in certain cases they were not his friends and that voters had not warmed to them. He acknowledged that the US-Israel war on Iran had influenced the vote, arguing that elevated fuel prices had prevented voters from recognising the strength of his economic record.
El-Sayed makes history in Michigan
Abdul El-Sayed became the first Muslim elected to the US Senate after winning a closely watched race in Michigan, keeping the seat in Democratic hands. He defeated Republican Mike Rogers, who received a late endorsement from El-Sayed’s Democratic primary rival, Haley Stevens.
The contest was among the bitterest of the cycle. Trump invoked 9/11 and described El-Sayed as a jihadist without offering evidence, drawing a backlash and accusations of Islamophobia. In his victory remarks, El-Sayed reflected on his habitual use of the phrase God willing when discussing the race’s outcome, telling supporters that the night had turned it into praise be to God.
Republican losses and the limits of distancing from Trump
Susan Collins, Maine’s Republican senator for three decades, was defeated by Democrat Troy Jackson, a logger who leaned on his blue-collar background to court the state’s working-class voters. Collins conceded and described her service as the honour of her life. The mood at her watch party was sombre. She had entered the race as one of the most vulnerable Republican incumbents and found that her attempt to distance herself from the president did not protect her.
Ashley Hinson met a similar fate in Iowa, losing a closely fought Senate seat to Josh Turek. Hinson had slightly distanced herself from Trump, urging him to end the war with Iran and breaking with him on easing beef tariffs, while defending his broader tariff policies.
Firsts across the states
In Florida, Republican Byron Donalds became the state’s first black governor with a strong endorsement from Trump, one of the few bright spots for the party on an otherwise difficult night. Donalds, who succeeds Ron DeSantis, said his state was the envy of the nation and pledged to make it more affordable.
In Georgia, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta, won the governor’s race to become the first black governor and the first woman elected to the state’s highest office. She defeated Republican Rick Jackson, a billionaire businessman and healthcare executive, in a state that had not had a Democratic governor for more than two decades.
Chris Pappas became the first openly gay man elected to the Senate, celebrating in New Hampshire alongside his husband. He defeated former Republican Senator John Sununu and thanked him for his public service.
In Colorado, Melat Kiros became the first woman from Gen Z elected to Congress, a generation spanning those born between 1997 and 2012.
