Democrats have won control of both chambers of the United States Congress in Tuesday’s midterm elections, according to projections by major American news organisations, in what is being described as a sharp rebuke of President Donald Trump halfway through his second term.
NBC News and CNN projected that Democrats would control the House of Representatives and the Senate, while the Associated Press called the Senate for Democrats late on Tuesday, according to a report carried by Yahoo News. At the time of that report the AP had not yet called the House, although other outlets had. Counting is continuing in several close races, so the final size of each majority is not yet known.
Senate flips in Texas, Ohio and North Carolina
Democrats needed a net gain of four seats to take the Senate, which Republicans had held 53–47. Among the most striking results was in Texas, where Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who had been endorsed by Mr Trump. The AP called the race, and reports said the result ends a Republican winning streak in Texas statewide elections that stretched back more than three decades.
In Ohio, former Senator Sherrod Brown completed a comeback by defeating Republican Senator Jon Husted, according to projections reported by NBC News, NPR and The Washington Post. In North Carolina, former governor Roy Cooper won the open seat against Republican Michael Whatley, a Democratic gain called by the AP, according to Roll Call. Reports also listed Iowa among the seats Democrats picked up.
Democrats held on to seats they were defending. Senator Jon Ossoff was re-elected in Georgia over Republican Mike Collins, and Chris Pappas kept New Hampshire in Democratic hands. Races in Alaska, Maine and Michigan were still being counted at the latest reports and could add to the Democratic majority. In Florida, Republican Ashley Moody won the race to complete Marco Rubio’s former term.
Jeffries on course to become first Black Speaker
In the House, where Democrats needed a net gain of only three seats, early results pointed to a comfortable Democratic majority, possibly in double digits, according to Yahoo News. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York is expected to replace Republican Mike Johnson as Speaker when the new Congress meets in January. If elected by the full House, he would be the first African American to hold the post.
Mr Jeffries celebrated on X with a short message: “Victory for America!”, according to ANI. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer is expected to become Majority Leader, replacing Republican John Thune. Before polls closed, Mr Schumer had told ABC News he was “nauseously optimistic” about his party’s chances.
What it means for Trump
The result means Mr Trump will face a Congress controlled by the opposition for the last two years of his term. Losing both chambers will make it much harder for the White House to pass legislation and to win confirmation for nominees in the Senate.
House Democrats have promised a wave of oversight. Representative Robert Garcia, expected to chair the House Oversight Committee, has pledged to investigate the administration, including immigration enforcement by the Department of Homeland Security and ICE and the handling of the Epstein files, according to ANI. Democrats have also said they will push to end the Iran war, roll back Mr Trump’s tariffs and focus on the cost of living, Yahoo News reported.
Speaking at a closing campaign event in Washington before the vote, Mr Trump said Republicans had a “very strong shot”, while acknowledging that a sitting president’s party often loses seats in midterm elections, CBS News reported. No detailed reaction from the President to the results had been widely reported at the time of writing.
What happens next
Election officials will continue counting ballots over the coming days, and some close House and Senate contests may not be settled for some time. Governor races in 36 states were also on the ballot; in Texas, early returns showed Democrat Gina Hinojosa ahead of Governor Greg Abbott, though that race had not been confirmed at the latest reports.
The new Congress will be sworn in on January 3, 2027, when the House will formally vote for its Speaker. For Nigeria and the wider African continent, a Democratic-led Congress could reshape debates on trade, aid and immigration policy that directly affect Africans and the diaspora in the United States.
Sources: NBC News, CNN, Associated Press (via Yahoo News and KJCT), NPR, The Washington Post, Roll Call, CBS News, ABC News, ANI.
