Washington: Democrats won a major victory in Tuesday’s US midterm elections, taking control of the Senate and moving close to winning the House. The results were a strong setback for President Donald Trump and his Republican Party, AFP reported.
The win means Democrats can now stop many of Trump’s plans in Congress, investigate his government, and make it harder for him to approve judges and top officials for the last two years of his presidency.
Many voters were angry about high living costs, tariffs, and Trump’s war with Iran, which has made fuel more expensive. The president was already unpopular, and the election made that unhappiness clear.
Trump sounded calm about the result. “I am absolutely willing to accept those results,” he told The New York Times. He also said he would “work with the Democrats.”
But soon after, he posted a picture on social media of a red cap that said: “VETO.” The message suggested he plans to fight Democratic laws.
Democrats won Senate seats in Kansas and Iowa. These were the fifth and sixth Republican-held Senate seats they took during the election night.
In Kansas, Methodist minister Adam Hamilton beat Republican Senator Roger Marshall. He became the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Kansas since 1932.
Iowa had not elected a Democratic senator since 2008. The win showed that Democrats made progress even in states that usually support Republicans.
Democrats also won Senate races in Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Ohio. Trump worked hard to help Republican candidates, but many voters still chose Democrats.
Texas was one of the biggest surprises.
Democrat James Talarico beat a Senate candidate supported by Trump. Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Governor Greg Abbott, ending many years of Republican control of the state’s top job.
Democrats also kept important Senate seats, including Jon Ossoff’s seat in Georgia and an open seat in New Hampshire.
Before the election, Republicans had a 53–47 majority in the Senate.
Democrats gained six seats, enough for television networks to say they had taken control, even though some races were still being counted.
Wins In Republican Areas
Democrats also moved toward control of the House by winning Republican-held seats in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Kentucky, Arizona, and North Carolina.
Some of these wins came in areas that Trump had easily won in 2024. Republicans had tried to protect their seats by changing voting district boundaries.
Indiana was an important example. Democrat J.D. Ford beat Republican Congresswoman Victoria Spartz in a district Trump won by 17 points. Experts saw this as a sign that Democrats were doing well across the country.
In Georgia, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor in US history. Democrats also won more state-level offices around the country.
Republicans did have some good news in Florida. Trump-backed Byron Donalds won the race for governor and became Florida’s first Black governor. Ashley Moody kept her Senate seat.
Todd Belt, a professor at George Washington University, called the Democratic victory “a big wipeout and a strong repudiation of Donald Trump and his policies.” He said voters were worried about the economy, corruption, and the Iran conflict.
Trump Faces A Stronger Congress
With control of the Senate — and likely the House—Democrats can block Trump’s laws, investigate claims of corruption, examine the Iran war and immigration enforcement, and slow down his choices for judges and senior government jobs.
Robert Garcia, a Democrat expected to lead the powerful House Oversight Committee, warned Republicans on social media: “LAWYER UP.”
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Trump’s MAGA movement was “on the run from sea to shining sea.”
Jeffries could become the first Black speaker of the House when the new Congress begins in January, if other Democrats elect him to the job.
For many voters, the biggest issue was the economy.
“Rent, groceries, utility bills, and property taxes keep climbing,” Taylor Cook, a 24-year-old voter from Los Angeles, told AFP.
