Democrats have won control of both houses of the US Congress following a dramatic night of midterm election results that saw President Donald Trump’s Republican Party suffer heavy defeats across the country.
Voters turned against the Republicans in a series of closely watched contests on Tuesday (3 November), with Democrats making historic gains in states that have traditionally been Republican strongholds.
The results mean the Democrats will control both the House of Representatives and the Senate when the new Congress takes office in January, ending two years of Republican control of the White House and Congress.
The outcome brings a change in the balance of power in Washington halfway through Trump’s second presidential term.
Among the most striking results was a Democratic victory in Texas, where James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton to become the state’s first Democratic senator-elect since 1988.
Democrat Gina Hinojosa also defeated three-term Republican governor Greg Abbott in another major upset in the state.
In Kansas, Adam Hamilton became the first Democrat elected to the Senate since 1932, defeating Republican incumbent Roger Marshall.
The Democrats also secured an unexpected victory in South Carolina, where Annie Andrews defeated Republican senator Darline Graham, who had been backed by Trump.
Further Democratic gains came in North Carolina, Ohio, Iowa and Maine, giving the party the seats it needed to secure a Senate majority.
Former North Carolina governor Roy Cooper won his Senate contest, while Sherrod Brown defeated Republican senator Jon Husted in Ohio.
The Democrats also gained control of the House of Representatives after winning a series of competitive races across the country.
The election was widely regarded as a referendum on Trump’s presidency, with the cost of living, his administration’s tariff policies and the war with Iran emerging as central campaign issues.
Exit polls suggested widespread dissatisfaction with the direction of the country.
Around three-quarters of voters surveyed said they were angry or dissatisfied with how the United States was being governed, while seven in ten wanted Congress to exercise greater checks on presidential power.
Democrats had concentrated their campaign on household costs, government accountability and criticism of the administration’s economic policies.
Republicans focused heavily on immigration and cultural issues, arguing that Democratic candidates would take the country in a more radical direction.
Trump had personally campaigned for Republican candidates in several important states, urging supporters to treat the midterms as a vote on his presidency.
As the results emerged, the president sought to distance himself from the defeats.
Writing on social media, he said: “I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!”
Trump said that he would accept the results and was prepared to work with Democrats, although he warned that he could veto legislation he opposed.
The Democratic victories will significantly change Trump’s ability to pursue his legislative agenda during the remaining two years of his presidency.
With control of both chambers, Democrats will be able to scrutinise the administration, launch congressional investigations and block legislation they oppose.
Control of the Senate also gives them the power to reject presidential appointments, including nominations to the US Supreme Court.
Trump will retain the presidency and the constitutional power to veto legislation, creating the prospect of prolonged political disagreements between the White House and Congress.
The election also produced historic results.
In Georgia, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor of an American state.
Michigan elected Abdul El-Sayed, the first Muslim to win a seat in the US Senate.
The new political balance will remain in place until at least the next congressional elections in November 2028, when Americans will also choose Trump’s successor as president.