Democrats won control of the House of Representatives and the Senate in midterm elections that ended Tuesday, ending full Republican control of Congress for the final two years of President Donald Trump's second term.3,4,5,7
NBC News projected Democrats would also flip the Senate after winning the House, a result also projected by CBS News and described by PBS as giving Democrats both chambers. TheBlaze said Democratic control of both chambers would hamper Trump's efforts to pass laws and nominate judges, and NBC News said Jan. 3 would mark the first time in Trump's second term that he would not have full control of Congress.3,4,5,7
The size of the House majority was not yet settled and differed between projections. NBC News projected Democrats would win about 255 seats, an estimate it said could move up or down by a few seats, while the Washington Examiner put the figure at 218 seats, the number needed for a majority. Democrats needed a net gain of three seats to take the House, and NBC News said they won more than that.2,3
In Pennsylvania, Democrats defeated four Republican incumbents. Democrat Bob Harvie beat Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, Democrat Bob Brooks defeated Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in the 7th District, Paige Cognetti defeated Rep. Rob Bresnahan in the 8th District, and Democrat Janelle Stelson defeated Rep. Scott Perry in the 10th District. In Virginia, former Rep. Elaine Luria defeated Rep. Jen Kiggans near Virginia Beach, and Democrat Shannon Taylor defeated Rep. Rob Wittman outside Richmond.3
Other House results included Democrat Rebecca Bennett defeating Rep. Tom Kean Jr. in New Jersey, the defeat of Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana, and Democratic state Rep. Manny Rutinel defeating Rep. Gabe Evans in Colorado. Richard Ojeda II defeated Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, who led the House Republican campaign arm. PBS reported additional Democratic House wins by Jamie Ager over Jennifer Capps Balkcom in North Carolina and Lindsay James over Joe Mitchell in Iowa.3,4
Senate Democrats advanced in states Trump had carried, including states he won by double digits two years ago. Josh Turek defeated Rep. Ashley Hinson in Iowa, and Adam Hamilton defeated Sen. Roger Marshall in Kansas to become the state's first Democratic senator since 1932. James Talarico defeated Ken Paxton in Texas, Annie Andrews defeated Darline Graham in South Carolina, Sherrod Brown defeated Sen. Jon Husted in Ohio, and Roy Cooper won an open seat in North Carolina.4,7
Democrat Troy Jackson defeated Sen. Susan Collins in Maine, Sen. Jon Ossoff won reelection in Georgia over Rep. Mike Collins, and Rep. Chris Pappas won in New Hampshire over former Sen. John Sununu. CBS News indicated the Mississippi Senate race remained at a narrow margin with counting continuing, and that counting also continued in Michigan's Senate race.4,7
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who is expected to be sworn in as the first Black speaker on Jan. 3, told supporters the midterm results show the "American people are crying out for transformational change." "Today begins the great American comeback. The American people have spoken all across the land, in the North, in the South, in the East, in the West, in the Midwest, from sea to shining sea. The American people have spoken and made clear they’ve had enough of the extremism, enough of the corruption," Jeffries said. "They want a Congress that’s going to deliver for the American people," he said, "and that is exactly what House Democrats will do as soon as we get into office in January." Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called the result a "generational remake of the Senate map."3,4
Jeffries said Democrats would focus on four areas: reversing Trump's cuts to Medicaid, extending Affordable Care Act credits, restoring congressional authority related to tariffs, and stopping Trump's war with Iran. Rep. Robert Garcia of California, in line to lead the Oversight Committee, said his panel plans to focus on "Trump family corruption," including Trump's cryptocurrency ventures, which have earned him more than $1 billion, along with "abuses" by ICE and the Department of Homeland Security, corporate corruption and the Jeffrey Epstein files. PBS reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Elon Musk, a former top Trump adviser, were among possible targets for investigations.3,4
With the majority, Democrats will control House committees, with subpoena power and the ability to hold oversight hearings and to pass legislation with a simple majority. Some Democrats have called for impeaching Trump for a third time. Jeffries said Democrats "haven’t ruled anything in and we haven’t ruled anything out" on impeachment, and added, "I wouldn’t characterize it as investigating them like crazy. We’re going to follow the facts, apply the law, be guided by the Constitution and let the chips fall where they may." PBS reported that impeachment of Trump and Cabinet officials was not off the table.3,4
Trump campaigned through the final month and asked voters to treat the election as if he were on the ballot, then posted on social media before West Coast polls closed that he was not on the ballot. In a late-night phone interview with Fox News, he said he did not consider the outcome a personal defeat, saying voters "didn't like the candidates." He vowed to veto Democratic legislation and shared an image of a red cap styled after his campaign headwear with the word veto. He said on Fox that he would accept the results after Democrats had braced for him to challenge them following his warnings that noncitizens would vote in large numbers and lawsuits filed in Alaska and California.4
The Democrats' victory was widely seen as a referendum on Trump's unpopular policies, including his tough immigration crackdown, the eight-month Iran war and tariffs on U.S. allies that drove up the prices of gas, groceries and other goods, while the midterm elections channeled voters' deep frustrations over high prices, the Iran war and concerns over government corruption. Since returning to office, Trump dismantled agencies through the Department of Government Efficiency, imposed tariffs and rescinded approved funding while the Republican-controlled House and Senate largely did not intervene. Trump endorsed Paxton over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Texas primary, criticized North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, who did not seek reelection, and supported Graham in South Carolina.3,4
Senate Majority Leader John Thune wrote on X that "Senate Republicans will not stand idly by as the far-left, socialist wing of the Democrat Party attempts to unwind everything we've done," and said Republicans would work with Trump "to stop the worst impulses of Democrat extremism." The future of House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, a Trump ally who has led House Republicans for three years, was unclear, with NBC News reporting it was not known whether he would seek to remain as minority leader or step aside.3,4
