By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
WASHINGTON — Democrats won control of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate in Tuesday’s midterm elections, Nov. 3, delivering substantial losses to President Donald Trump’s Republican Party while capturing seven Republican-held Senate seats, at least 25 House seats and four governorships. The results will give Democrats control of Congress during the final two years of Trump’s presidency, fundamentally changing the balance of power in Washington.
By early Wednesday, Nov. 4, election projections showed Democrats securing at least 54 Senate seats compared with 44 Republicans, with two contests still unresolved. In the House, Democrats had secured at least 225 seats, surpassing the 218 required for a majority, while Republicans had won at least 137. Additional congressional races remained undecided as election officials continued counting mail ballots, provisional ballots and outstanding Election Day votes.
According to Fox News’ nationwide election results, Democrats captured the Senate through victories in North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Ohio, Kansas, Iowa and Maine, including several states that Trump carried in the 2024 presidential election. The Republican losses included longtime incumbents and seats that had remained in Republican hands for decades.
The Associated Press projected Democratic control of both chambers, with voters identifying the cost of living, inflation, government corruption and the continuing war involving Iran among their leading concerns. The results also produced historic victories for candidates who will become the first members of their communities to hold certain federal and state offices.
Republicans entered the elections defending their congressional majorities after two years of unified government under Trump. The Democratic victories will allow the party to control congressional committees, oversee federal spending legislation, conduct investigations and exercise the Senate’s confirmation authority over presidential nominees.
The Senate results represented the most consequential shift. In Texas, Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, becoming the first Democrat to win a statewide election in Texas since 1994 and the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from the state since 1988. With approximately 96% of the expected vote counted, Talarico led with 55.2% compared with Paxton’s 42.9%.
Texas voters also removed Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who lost his reelection campaign to Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa. Her victory ended more than three decades of Republican gubernatorial victories in Texas and represented one of the election’s most significant state-level changes.
In North Carolina, former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper defeated Republican Michael Whatley, receiving approximately 58.7% of the vote. Cooper’s victory gave Democrats a Senate seat in a state that had not elected a Democratic senator since 2008.
South Carolina delivered another major Democratic upset when Annie Andrews defeated Republican incumbent Darline Graham. Andrews became the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from South Carolina since 1998, a significant departure from the state’s longstanding Republican voting patterns in federal elections.
In Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton defeated Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, becoming the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Kansas since 1932. Hamilton’s victory marked one of the most historically significant results of the night and demonstrated the extent of Republican losses beyond traditionally competitive states.
Iowa voters elected Democrat Josh Turek over Republican Ashley Hinson, ending a period in which Republicans held both of the state’s Senate seats. Turek became the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Iowa since 2008.
Ohio voters returned former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown to Washington after he defeated Republican Sen. Jon Husted in a special election for the seat previously held by Vice President JD Vance. Brown received approximately 50% of the vote, with Husted trailing by nearly five percentage points. Brown’s victory reversed his 2024 defeat and gives him the remainder of the Senate term ending in 2028.
Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins also lost her reelection campaign, falling to Democrat Troy Jackson. Collins, who had served in the Senate since 1997, was seeking a sixth term. Jackson’s victory ended one of the longest Republican Senate tenures in New England.
According to Ballotpedia’s analysis of the Senate results, the seven Democratic pickups represent one of the largest Senate shifts against a sitting president’s party in modern elections. Four incumbent Republican senators were defeated, while other Democratic victories came in races for open seats.
Democrats also retained several closely watched Senate seats. In Georgia, Sen. Jon Ossoff defeated his Republican challenger, winning approximately 59% of the vote. Michigan voters elected Democrat Abdul El-Sayed to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, while Minnesota voters elected Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan to the seat vacated by retiring Sen. Tina Smith.
El-Sayed will become the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate, while Flanagan will become the first Native American woman to serve in the chamber.
In New Hampshire, Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas defeated former Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, retaining the seat previously held by retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. Democrats also reelected Sens. Mark Warner of Virginia, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Chris Coons of Delaware, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, John Hickenlooper of Colorado, Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico.
Illinois voters elected Democrat Juliana Stratton to replace retiring Sen. Dick Durbin, maintaining Democratic control of the seat.
Republicans retained numerous Senate seats despite the broader national losses. Sen. Tom Cotton won reelection in Arkansas, Sen. Jim Risch prevailed in Idaho, Sen. Bill Hagerty won in Tennessee, Sen. Mike Rounds secured another term in South Dakota, and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito won reelection in West Virginia.
Florida Republican Sen. Ashley Moody also won her election, while Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts defeated independent challenger Dan Osborn. Wyoming voters elected Republican Harriet Hageman to the Senate, and Republicans Barry Moore of Alabama, Andy Barr of Kentucky, Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, Julia Letlow of Louisiana and Kurt Alme of Montana secured victories in their respective states.
Alaska’s Senate election remained unresolved early Wednesday, with Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan narrowly leading Democrat Mary Peltola. With approximately 72% of the expected vote counted, Sullivan had 48.5% compared with Peltola’s 47.7%. Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system could require additional rounds of tabulation before determining the winner.
The second unresolved Senate contest also remained under review as counting continued, leaving the chamber’s precise final partisan balance undetermined despite Democrats having secured the majority.
The House elections produced another major shift. Democrats gained at least 25 Republican-held districts, overcoming redistricting changes implemented in several states before the election. The party secured the 218 seats required for control and continued winning competitive races overnight.
According to the Fox News House election tracker, Democrats had won 225 seats by early Wednesday, while Republicans held 137, with dozens of contests still awaiting final projections. The eventual Democratic majority could expand as remaining ballots are counted.
Democrats defeated at least 14 Republican House incumbents, while no Democratic incumbents had lost reelection in the races called at the time of the early Wednesday tally. Some of the most notable Republican losses occurred in Ohio, Wisconsin and California, where redistricting and changing voter coalitions affected several competitive districts.
In Wisconsin, Democratic challenger Rebecca Cooke defeated Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden, reversing the result of their previous contest. Ohio Republican Rep. Max Miller also lost his reelection campaign, while California Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley was defeated following changes to the state’s congressional map.
Democrats captured additional Republican-held districts in Texas, including the seat previously represented by former Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, where Democrat Katy Padilla Stout won. The result contributed to Democratic gains despite Republican efforts to reshape the state’s congressional boundaries before the election.
Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur won reelection in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, while Democrats also retained competitive seats represented by Mike Levin and Derek Tran in California and Janelle Bynum and Andrea Salinas in Oregon.
Republicans retained seats in several competitive states, including victories by Reps. Tom Emmer and Pete Stauber in Minnesota, Tom McClintock in California, and Craig Goldman, Jake Ellzey, Keith Self, Roger Williams, Pete Sessions and Beth Van Duyne in Texas.
The final House margin remained uncertain, but the Democratic victory was sufficient to end Republican control of the chamber and place Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries in position to become the first Black speaker of the House when the new Congress convenes in January.
The state elections delivered additional changes, with Democrats winning governorships in Georgia, Iowa, Ohio and Texas. Their victories gave the party at least 27 governorships nationwide, compared with at least 20 for Republicans, according to Ballotpedia’s early Wednesday analysis.
Georgia voters elected former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who defeated Republican Rick Jackson with approximately 54.3% of the vote. Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor in American history and the first Democrat to win Georgia’s governorship since 1998.
Iowa voters elected Democratic State Auditor Rob Sand over Republican Zach Lahn, ending nearly two decades of Republican gubernatorial victories. Sand received approximately 55.5% of the vote, compared with Lahn’s 44.5%.
Ohio voters elected Democrat Amy Acton, the state’s former health director, over Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. Acton received approximately 52.3% of the vote, making her the first Democrat elected Ohio governor since 2006.
Texas voters elected Gina Hinojosa over incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, with Hinojosa receiving approximately 52.8% compared with Abbott’s 45.7%. Abbott became the only sitting governor defeated in the general election among races called by early Wednesday.
Democrats also retained or captured several other governorships. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs defeated Republican Andy Biggs, receiving approximately 55.7% of the vote. In Nevada, Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford led incumbent Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo by approximately 7.6 percentage points, although the race had not been called by early Wednesday.
California voters elected former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra over Republican Steve Hilton, while Colorado elected Democratic Attorney General Phil Weiser to succeed term-limited Gov. Jared Polis.
New Mexico elected former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who defeated Republican Gregg Hull with approximately 57% of the vote. Michigan elected Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson over Republican Rep. John James, with Benson receiving approximately 54% of the vote.
Minnesota voters elected Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar governor over Republican Lisa Demuth. Klobuchar’s victory created a vacancy in the Senate seat she previously held, which will require a replacement under Minnesota law.
Wisconsin voters elected Democrat David Crowley over Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany, succeeding outgoing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. Crowley received approximately 54% of the vote, maintaining Democratic control of the governor’s office as the party also gained control of the state Legislature.
Maine elected Democrat Hannah Pingree, while Rhode Island voters elected Democrat Helena Foulkes after incumbent Democratic Gov. Daniel McKee lost his party’s primary.
Democratic incumbents who secured reelection included New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and Hawaii Gov. Josh Green.
Republicans retained several governorships despite Democratic gains elsewhere. Florida voters elected Republican Rep. Byron Donalds to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis, with Donalds receiving approximately 50% of the vote compared with Democrat David Jolly’s 48.7%.
Alabama voters elected Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville governor over Democrat Doug Jones, while Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders secured reelection. Idaho Gov. Brad Little also won another term.
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen defeated Democrat Lynne Walz, New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte won reelection against Democrat Cinde Warmington, and Oklahoma voters elected Republican Mike Mazzei.
Republicans also prevailed in South Carolina, where Attorney General Alan Wilson defeated Democrat Jermaine Johnson; South Dakota, where Gov. Larry Rhoden won reelection; Wyoming, where Eric Barlow was elected governor; and Vermont, where Republican Gov. Phil Scott secured another term.
Tennessee Republican Marsha Blackburn led Democrat Jerri Green with approximately 45.5% of the vote compared with 43%, as additional votes continued to be processed.
Two gubernatorial contests remained particularly noteworthy. In Alaska, Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins led Republican Bernadette Wilson, although the race had not been called. In Kansas, Democrat Cindy Holscher held a narrow lead over Republican Ty Masterson, receiving approximately 50.3% compared with Masterson’s 49.7% with nearly 98% of votes counted.
The Fox News gubernatorial results page provides updated vote totals and reporting percentages for the 36 states that held elections for governor.
Beyond governors and Congress, Democrats made substantial gains in state legislatures, winning control of five chambers previously controlled by Republicans or operating under divided arrangements.
The party captured the North Carolina House of Representatives, Wisconsin Senate, Wisconsin Assembly, Pennsylvania Senate and Minnesota House of Representatives, according to Ballotpedia’s state legislative election analysis.
Wisconsin’s results were particularly significant. Democrats won an 18-15 majority in the state Senate and a 53-46 majority in the Assembly, gaining control of both chambers for the first time in 18 years. Combined with Crowley’s gubernatorial victory, the results establish unified Democratic control of Wisconsin’s state government.
According to Wisconsin Public Radio’s legislative election report, Democrats flipped three state Senate seats and eight Assembly seats while retaining their existing districts.
Democrats also secured unified control of state government in Minnesota and Pennsylvania. Republicans lost unified control in Georgia, Iowa, Ohio and Texas following Democratic gubernatorial victories.
Florida Republicans retained legislative majorities, although Democrats gained enough seats in the state Senate to eliminate the Republican supermajority. The shift could affect the Legislature’s ability to override gubernatorial vetoes and advance measures requiring enhanced voting thresholds.
State election results also included significant changes in offices responsible for election administration and legal enforcement.
In Indiana, Democrat Beau Bayh defeated Republican Max Engling and independent Greg Ballard in the secretary of state election, ending Republican control of the office dating to 1994. Michigan voters elected Democrat Garlin Gilchrist II secretary of state, replacing Jocelyn Benson, who won the governorship.
In Arizona, Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes defeated Republican Warren Petersen, while Wisconsin Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul won reelection against Republican Eric Toney.
Other attorney general races, including contests in Iowa and Nevada, remained unresolved early Wednesday. In Nevada, Democrat Nicole Cannizzaro and Republican Adriana Guzmán Fralick competed to replace Aaron Ford, who ran for governor.
Voters also decided 145 statewide ballot measures involving abortion, voting requirements, taxes, housing, criminal justice and other policy questions.
Virginia voters approved a constitutional amendment establishing protections for reproductive freedom, including abortion before the third trimester and specified medical exceptions afterward.
Missouri voters rejected Amendment 3, which would have repealed reproductive freedom protections approved in 2024 and imposed restrictions on abortion and certain medical procedures involving transgender minors.
Idaho voters rejected a proposal to establish statutory abortion protections, while Nevada’s Question 6, seeking to establish constitutional abortion protections, remained unresolved early Wednesday.
Election-related constitutional amendments produced mixed results. Arkansas, Kansas, South Dakota and West Virginia voters approved measures explicitly limiting voting in state and local elections to American citizens.
North Carolina voters approved an amendment expanding photo identification requirements to all voting methods, including absentee and mail ballots. Ohio voters also approved a constitutional amendment establishing identification requirements for in-person and mail voting.
Arizona voters rejected a proposal combining voter identification requirements with citizenship verification measures and restrictions on foreign contributions to election campaigns. California and Colorado voters rejected proposals expanding voter identification requirements, while Nevada’s Question 7 remained undecided.
In Florida, voters approved Amendment 3, a property tax reduction measure that received approximately 62% support, exceeding the 60% threshold required to amend the state’s constitution. The measure is expected to significantly reduce certain property tax obligations, although implementation and effects on local government revenue remain important considerations.
California voters were still deciding Proposition 40, a proposed one-time 5% wealth tax on residents with net worth exceeding $1 billion. Early returns showed opposition leading, but the result had not been called because a substantial number of mail ballots remained outstanding.
Additional ballot measures addressed housing affordability, criminal sentencing, constitutional rights and eligibility standards for state programs. The Ballotpedia statewide ballot measure tracker provides details on proposals across the country, including those still awaiting final results.
The elections also produced notable local outcomes. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg won reelection, while the Los Angeles mayoral contest between incumbent Karen Bass and City Council member Nithya Raman remained undecided.
In Oklahoma, Yukon Mayor Brian Pillmore was recalled following a dispute involving data center development. The recall was one of several local elections reflecting growing public concern about the infrastructure demands and economic effects of large technology facilities.
The election results represent a significant reversal from the Republican victories of 2024, when Trump returned to the presidency and Republicans gained unified control of Congress.
The Democratic victories were particularly pronounced in states that had supported Trump two years earlier, including Texas, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, North Carolina and South Carolina. The results suggest that concerns about economic conditions and federal policy influenced voters beyond traditionally Democratic areas, although turnout patterns and voter motivations varied considerably among states.
Redistricting also played an important role in the House elections. Nine states implemented congressional boundary changes between the 2024 and 2026 elections, including states that voluntarily redrew maps and others required to do so following litigation.
Those changes were initially expected to favor Republicans overall. However, Democrats performed strongly enough in several redrawn districts to offset anticipated Republican gains, contributing to their House majority.
The outcome will substantially change the administration’s legislative prospects. With Democrats controlling the House, Republican proposals will require bipartisan support or face opposition from the new majority. The Senate’s Democratic majority will also control the confirmation process for federal judges, senior administration officials and other presidential nominees requiring Senate approval.
Democrats will gain authority to issue congressional subpoenas, initiate oversight investigations and influence federal appropriations. Trump will retain the presidency and executive powers, including the veto, but his administration will face a Congress controlled by the opposing party.
Despite the broad Democratic victories, Republicans retained numerous governorships and Senate seats, including in Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Nebraska, Oklahoma and several other states. Congressional and state legislative results also reflected substantial variation among regions, underscoring the continuing importance of individual candidates and local political conditions.
The election results remained unofficial Wednesday morning. States must complete outstanding ballot counts, conduct required canvasses and audits, address recount requests where applicable and certify final totals under their respective election laws.
Nevertheless, the most consequential outcome was already settled: Democrats had secured control of both chambers of Congress, flipped seven Senate seats and captured at least four Republican-held governorships, while gaining control of several state legislative chambers.
As additional races are called, the final margins in Congress and state governments will become clearer, determining the political landscape for the remainder of Trump’s presidency and setting the stage for the 2028 presidential election.
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