Democrats seize full control of Congress in sweeping midterm victory
The party flips four key Senate seats and gains its largest House majority in nearly 20 years, while Democrats win governorships in Georgia, Texas, and Nevada.
By Isaac Medina ·
Democrats have secured full control of the United States Congress following the midterm elections held on Tuesday. The party has won a majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, ending Republican control of the legislative branch. This result marks a decisive shift in the balance of power in Washington.
Republicans entered the election cycle holding a 53-47 majority in the Senate and a 219-214 majority in the House. Voters chose 35 new Senate members and all 435 representatives. Democratic candidates performed strongly in high-profile battleground states early in the night.
Four incumbent Republican seats flipped to Democratic candidates. Former Governor Roy Cooper won the Senate seat in North Carolina. In South Carolina, Annie Andrews defeated Darline Graham. James Talarico won the Texas seat over Ken Paxton. Former Senator Sherrod Brown returned to Washington from Ohio.
In the House of Representatives, Democrats will begin the new year with their largest majority in nearly two decades, according to NBC News projections. This expansion of House power coincides with Democratic victories in several major governorships. Keisha Lance Bottoms won the governor's race in Georgia. Gina Hinojosa will become the next governor of Texas.
Aaron Ford, the Democratic Attorney General, unseated Republican Governor Joe Lombardo in Nevada. Ford will be the state's first Black governor. His campaign focused heavily on economic issues, specifically criticizing the "Lombardo-Trump economy." Ford and his allies attacked the 2025 tax cuts, spending bill, and tariffs, arguing these policies would harm poor Nevadans and the tourism-dependent state.
Lombardo attempted to distance himself from President Donald Trump on issues like tariffs and solar power while maintaining a relationship with the administration. He also leveraged his law enforcement background to argue that Democrats were weak on crime. Despite these efforts, he could not overcome the economic frustrations of voters in a state where the last two governors failed to secure re-election.
In Oregon, Democratic Governor Tina Kotek won re-election against Republican state Senator Christine Drazan. This race was a rematch of the 2022 contest, which Kotek won by four points. The victory maintains Democratic control of the state government in the solidly Democratic region.
Former Representative Val Demings, D-Fla., commented on the results in Florida. The state elected its first Black governor, Republican Byron Donalds. Demings noted that the election proved Florida is a "winnable state" for Democrats. She pointed to the close race in the Senate between Democrat Angie Nixon and incumbent Ashley Moody, who won the seat despite expectations of a larger margin.
In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom is leading incumbent Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by 28 votes. Colom told supporters that the race was "trending in our direction." He pledged to fight to protect every vote and ensure that Mississippian democracy was not silenced. The state last elected a Democrat to the Senate in 1982.
President Donald Trump commented on the election results in an interview with Fox News. He stated that the Iran war had led to a "not that pleasant" election night. The President had remained quiet for several hours before making these remarks. The outcomes set the stage for the next two years of congressional sessions ahead of the 2028 presidential election.
