US midterm elections: Democrats take control of Congress in major blow to Trump

The Democratic Party has secured control of both chambers of the United States Congress following a sweeping victory in Tuesday’s midterm elections, dealing a major setback to President Donald Trump and his Republican Party.

The victory gives Democrats control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, allowing them to block Trump’s legislative agenda and launch investigations into alleged corruption during the remaining two years of his presidency.

The election outcome reflected widespread public dissatisfaction over the rising cost of living, Trump’s tariff policies and the ongoing war against Iran, which has driven up fuel prices and added to economic concerns.

Despite his previous history of questioning election results, Trump adopted a conciliatory tone following the outcome.

Speaking to The New York Times, the US president said he was willing to accept the results, stating, “I am absolutely willing to accept those results.”

He also pledged to “work with the Democrats.”

But minutes later on social media the 80-year-old signaled 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.

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.

Texas was a political bombshell.

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.

Democrats also protected key Senate seats of their own, including Jon Ossoff’s in Georgia and an open seat in New Hampshire.

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 wider Democratic advance.

In Georgia, former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor in US history, while other Democratic gains extended to statehouses across the country.

Republicans had some bright spots in Florida, where Trump-backed Byron Donalds won the governorship, becoming the state’s first Black governor, and Ashley Moody kept a Senate seat.

George Washington University professor Todd Belt called the Democratic advance “a big wipeout and a strong repudiation of Donald Trump and his policies,” citing voters’ concerns about the economy, corruption and the Iran conflict.

– Trump on defensive –

Democrats will now be able to block Trump’s legislation, investigate his administration over corruption allegations, the Iran war and immigration enforcement, and use Senate control to thwart judicial appointments and senior nominations.

Robert Garcia, a Democrat expected to lead the powerful House Oversight Committee, warned Republicans on social media: “LAWYER UP.”

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries declared Trump’s MAGA movement “on the run from sea to shining sea.”

Jeffries is also positioned to become the first Black speaker of the House when the new Congress convenes in January, if elected by his colleagues.

For many voters, the central concern was Trump’s stewardship of the economy.

“Rent, groceries, utility bills, and property taxes keep climbing,” 24-year-old Los Angeles voter Taylor Cook told AFP.

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