Democrats have taken control of the Senate and the House of Representatives, taking control of Congress for the remainder of Donald Trump’s presidency.
The midterm elections, which concluded on Tuesday, reflected voters’ deep dissatisfaction with high prices, the war in Iran and concerns about government corruption.
Democratic control of Congress will fundamentally change the last two years of Trump’s term and is expected to make it more difficult for him to implement his agenda, including the aim of preserving the conservative orientation of the Supreme Court.
Trump has vowed to use his veto power to block the Democrats’ agenda, warning of the possibility of a political gridlock in Washington.
Democrats followed a remarkable path to victory in the Senate, achieving success even in some of the country’s most conservative states.
Josh Turek defeated Rep. Ashley Hinson in Iowa, while Adam Hamilton defeated Sen. Roger Marshall in Kansas, part of a string of surprise victories. James Talarico defeated Ken Paxton in Texas, Annie Andrews scored a surprise victory over Darline Graham in South Carolina, Sherrod Brown defeated Sen. Jon Husted in Ohio, and Roy Cooper won a vacant seat in North Carolina.
Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff won a new term in Georgia, defeating Representative Mike Collins and denying Republicans a seat they once considered one of their top chances to win.
Representative Chris Pappas won the Senate race in New Hampshire, defeating former Senator John Sununu and taking the seat of outgoing Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen.
In the House of Representatives, Democrats have taken control, defeating six Republicans in key races. Republican Rep. Tom Kean of New Jersey and three Republicans in Pennsylvania, Ryan Mackenzie, Scott Perry and Rob Bresnahan, lost their reelection races. Meanwhile, Democrats won seats that had been vacant in North Carolina and Kentucky.
The US president told Fox News that the Democrats “did a good job.”
He even admitted that the war with Iran and high oil prices played a role in the Republicans’ defeat.
These elections will significantly change the balance of power in Washington.
Democrats had entered Election Day with cautious optimism, while watching Republicans who, in the final weeks of the campaign, invested tens of millions of dollars in states and electoral districts that Trump had won by large margins two years earlier.
They also saw Trump campaigning in some of the country’s most conservative states.
Democrats had bet that public dissatisfaction with Trump’s failure to curb inflation, as well as the perception that he was focusing more on beautifying and luxuriating the nation’s capital than on easing the burden of high prices for citizens, would turn the outcome in their favor.
Trump says he will accept the election result, but doesn’t see it as a blow to him
US President Donald Trump congratulated Democrats on their string of victories on Tuesday night, but insisted the midterm elections were not a referendum on his job.
“They worked very hard and long,” he said in a phone call with Fox News.
Several candidates supported by Trump lost in seats that he easily won in 2024.
But he has blamed the candidates themselves, not the policies where he ranked unfavorably, such as the economy and the war with Iran.
“I don’t see it as a blow to me,” he said. “We’ve had the best two years in the history of the presidency,” he added.
Democrats have regained control of the US Congress, winning a majority of seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate.