US midterms: Democrats win US Congress in midterm rout of Trump

AI Summary

Democrats have won control of both chambers of the U.S. Congress in a major midterm victory, giving them power to block legislation and investigate the Trump administration. The results include Democratic gains in traditionally Republican states, amid voter discontent over living costs, tariffs, and the war against Iran, which has pushed fuel prices higher.

Democrats seized control of the US Congress on Wednesday, capturing the Senate and House of Representatives in a stunning, nationwide rejection of Donald Trump set to put the brakes on the final two years of his presidency. The Democratic landslide will give the opposition power to block legislation, launch broad investigations into Trump’s administration and thwart his judicial and senior government appointments. The vote reflected deep anger over living costs, tariffs and Trump’s war against Iran, which has sent fuel prices soaring and compounded dissatisfaction with an already deeply unpopular president. Trump struck a conciliatory note despite his history of questioning election results, telling The New York Times: “I am absolutely willing to accept those results” and promising to “work with the Democrats”. But minutes later on social media the 80-year-old signalled how he intends to deal with Democratic attempts to pass laws, posting a picture of a red baseball cap emblazoned: “VETO.” The Democrats’ decisive Senate breakthroughs came in Kansas and Iowa, the fifth and sixth Republican-held seats to fall in the extraordinary “blue wave” election night. In Kansas, Methodist minister Adam Hamilton defeated Republican incumbent Roger Marshall, becoming the first Democrat elected to the Senate from the reliably conservative state since 1932. Iowa had not elected a Democratic senator since 2008, again illustrating the scale of party’s inroads into Republican strongholds. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton speaks following her victory in the US midterm elections at a Democratic Election Night rally, in Columbus, Ohio, US, November 3, 2026. — Reuters The upsets followed victories in Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina and Ohio, where voters rejected Republican candidates despite Trump’s intensive efforts to rally his supporters. Democrat James Talarico ousted a Trump-backed Senate candidate, while Gina Hinojosa unseated Republican governor Greg Abbott, ending decades of Republican control of the state’s top office. Talarico said that “we defeated Goliath” after winning a US Senate seat over Texas attorney General Ken Paxton, a close ally of President Donald Trump who was heavily backed by tech billionaire Elon Musk. “In this race, we went up against our own Goliaths. The richest man in the world, the most powerful man in the world, and the entire Washington, DC establishment,” Talarico told a victory rally in the Texas capital, Austin. Democrats also protected key Senate seats of their own, including Jon Ossoff’s in Georgia and an open seat in New Hampshire. In California, Democrat Xavier Becerra handily defeated Donald Trump-backed Republican Steve Hilton in the race to become the governor, US networks said. Partial results showed Becerra, a career politician who served in the cabinet of former president Joe Biden, had a nearly two-to-one advantage over Hilton, with about half of the ballots counted. Becerra had run a low-key campaign in a state where Democrats heavily outnumber Republicans and where the Trump brand is almost toxic. The son of Mexican immigrants, he will be the first elected Latino governor of California, a state that would be the world’s fourth-largest economy if it were a country. “Ladies and gentlemen, you have now entered the Becerra era,” the former US Health and Human Services secretary told his supporters at a victory party in Sacramento. “I didn’t run to make history,” he said. “I ran to make a difference for anyone and everyone who calls California home, whether you voted for me or not.” Becerra will replace term-limited Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democratic Party big-hitter who is believed to have his eyes on a tilt at the White House in 2028. California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra speaks at an election night event on November 3, 2026 in Sacramento, California. —AFP Hilton, a British-born conservative former pundit who was once an adviser to former UK prime minister David Cameron, had always been a long shot. He conceded he had lost a difficult race. “Maybe this isn’t the best year to be running for office as a Republican when we see what’s going on around the country,” he said. Republicans had held a 53-47 Senate majority. The six-seat Democratic gain proved sufficient for networks to project a takeover despite some races remaining unresolved. Republican heartland Democrats also captured the House after flipping Republican-held districts in states stretching from Pennsylvania and New Jersey to Kentucky, Arizona and North Carolina. Some victories came in territory Trump had carried comfortably in 2024, despite Republican attempts to shore up House seats by redrawing electoral boundaries. One bellwether was Indiana, where Democrat J.D. Ford defeated Republican congresswoman Victoria Spartz in a district Trump won by 17 points. Analysts had identified an upset there as a warning of a much wide