By Sohaib Shams
Americans delivered a resounding rebuke to President Donald Trump in Tuesday's midterm elections, with Democrats projected to capture both chambers of Congress and usher in two years of divided government.
Senate and House projections
By early Wednesday, Democrats were projected to win 54 Senate seats to Republicans' 42, and 224 House seats to Republicans' 134. The result marks a full-blown repudiation of Trump and GOP policies, according to political science professor Costas Panagopoulos.
Key Senate flips
Democrats flipped Republican-held seats in Texas, Kansas, South Carolina, Ohio, Iowa, and North Carolina. In Texas, James Talarico defeated Ken Paxton, becoming the first Democrat elected to the Senate from the state in over three decades. In Kansas, Adam Hamilton unseated Senator Roger Marshall, ending a 94-year losing streak. Annie Andrews defeated Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina, while former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper captured another seat. In Ohio, former Sen. Sherrod Brown beat Sen. Jon Husted. In Maine, Troy Jackson was projected to defeat five-term Sen. Susan Collins. In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed was projected to defeat Mike Rogers.
House gains and leadership
Democrats secured prominent pickups in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Virginia. Bob Brooks defeated Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, Paige Cognetti beat Rep. Rob Bresnahan, and Janelle Stelson ousted Rep. Scott Perry in Pennsylvania. In New Jersey, Rebecca Bennett defeated Rep. Tom Kean Jr. In Virginia, former Rep. Elaine Luria reclaimed her seat from Rep. Jen Kiggans, and Shannon Taylor defeated longtime Rep. Rob Wittman. The projected majority puts House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on course to become the first Black speaker of the House.
Governorships and Trump's reaction
Democrats also flipped Republican-held governorships in Texas, Georgia, and Ohio. Trump congratulated Democrats but stopped short of accepting blame, saying the defeats were not 'a hit on me' and blaming candidates who failed to inspire supporters. He credited Democrats with an effective campaign. Notably, Trump did not mention election fraud in his Fox News interview.
Democratic agenda and unresolved races
Democrats plan to reverse health care cuts, reclaim congressional authority over tariffs, and stop the Iran war. They also intend to investigate the administration and may pursue impeachment charges against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Attention now shifts to unresolved contests, including the Senate race in Alaska and ballot counting in California.
