Democrats seize House control and flip key Senate seats in midterm shakeup
Annie Andrews defeats Darline Graham in South Carolina, while Roy Cooper wins North Carolina, as high turnout among Black and Hispanic voters drives Democratic gains.
By Anthony Shevchenko ·
Democrats have taken control of the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time since 2022 and are on track to flip the Senate as well. The party secured its first Senate victory of the night when Annie Andrews defeated Darline Graham in South Carolina. Graham had been appointed to the seat following the death of her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham.
Analysts had not considered the South Carolina seat in play until just months ago. Two other races, Georgia and North Carolina, which were viewed as battlegrounds a year ago, have become decisive wins for the Democratic Party. Jon Ossoff won re-election in Georgia. In North Carolina, former Governor Roy Cooper defeated Republican Michael Whatley. That victory marks the first of four pickups Democrats need to control the Senate.
With South Carolina secured, Democrats are halfway to their Senate goal. Attention has shifted to vote counts in Republican-held seats in Texas, Kansas, and Ohio. CBS News, the BBC's U.S. partner, rates the Texas and Kansas Senate races as leaning Democrat. The Texas governor's race, where incumbent Greg Abbott was a prohibitive favorite last year, is now a toss-up.
In Florida, Republicans in the state legislature redrew the boundaries of three Democratic-held House seats to favor their party. Democrats lost all three redrawn districts but won other House races that Republicans expected to win by wide margins. The party flipped open seats in western North Carolina and Kentucky and is positioned to gain ground in Virginia and Indiana.
These results reflect high Democratic turnout, particularly among Black voters in the South and Hispanic voters in Florida who supported Republicans in the 2024 presidential election. In majority Black counties in South Carolina, Andrews outperformed Kamala Harris's 2024 numbers. In Miami-Dade County, a district carried by Donald Trump in 2024, Democratic candidates are currently leading.
Florida as a whole still appears to tilt right. Republican Senator Ashley Moody narrowly won re-election, and Congressman Byron Donalds won the gubernatorial race. While the mood of the electorate has turned against President Donald Trump and Republicans nationwide, early results from the American heartland are following the trend seen on the East Coast.
