Democrats have taken full control of the U.S. Congress in a massive repudiation of Donald Trump’s authoritarian presidency and his gross mishandling of the economy.
The blue wave that observers have projected for months ended up being a blue tsunami Tuesday night. Democrats are expected to win a significant majority in the House of Representatives, and they’ve already flipped seven Senate seats held by Republicans.
For the first two years of Trump’s second term, Republicans have held a governing trifecta, denying Democrats much opportunity to block their agenda or hold the president and his corrupt administration accountable. That’s about to change: With control of the House and Senate, Democrats will be able launch formal investigations, and the president will no longer be able to ram through legislation.
“We’ll work with the Democrats,” Trump told the New York Times Tuesday evening. The president even claimed he’ll accept the election results. On Fox, meanwhile, Trump said: “I have the power of veto.”
Democrats won GOP seats in Iowa, Kansas, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, and Texas. Former Governor Roy Cooper has long been expected to win North Carolina. The other states were mostly considered toss-ups, or thought to lean Republican.
Kansas elected its first Democratic senator since 1932, as Methodist minister Adam Hamilton beat GOP Senator Roger Marshall.
In Ohio, former Senator Sherrod Brown, who lost his seat in 2024, regained a place in Congress by beating Senator Jon Husted.
Texas state Rep. James Talarico easily defeated scandal-plagued Attorney General Ken Paxton, the first time Democrats have won a Senate seat in the Lone Star State sine 1988.
In South Carolina, which had not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1998, Annie Andrews defeated Republican Senator Darline Graham. At Trump’s urging, Graham was appointed to the seat in July following the death of her brother Lindsey Graham, the prominent Trump ally and long-serving GOP senator. It was Lindsey Graham, of course, who furiously lobbied the president to launch the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran – a decision that likely cost Republicans control of Congress.
In Iowa, state Rep. Josh Turek, defeated Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson – securing the majority for Democrats.
Dems quickly built on that majority in Maine, with five-term GOP Senator Susan Collins reportedly conceding to Troy Jackson, the former state senate president. Jackson became the nominee this summer after Graham Platner was forced to drop out.
Democrats also held onto the Senate seat in Minnesota, with Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan projected as the winner against former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya
Dems could still expand their Senate majority. Results are still coming in from Michigan, and polls only just closed in part of Alaska.
Zeteo’s Mehdi Hasan and Prem Thakker are currently streaming live from Michigan, where Abdul El-Sayed currently holds a small lead over Republican Mike Rogers. Tune in now!
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