Democrats won control of both chambers of the United States Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections, according to Associated Press race calls — a sweeping rebuke of President Donald Trump that sets up two years of divided government. The AP called the House for the Democrats in the early hours of Wednesday morning, hours after the party had already crossed the 51-seat threshold in the Senate. The new Congress takes its seats in January.
The result ends Republican control of Congress and hands Democrats the power to set the legislative agenda in both chambers, to investigate the administration, and to block the president's programme for the final two years of his term. Trump acknowledged the outcome, and warned he would veto legislation he opposed, according to Reuters.
The headline numbers: 218 seats are needed for a House majority — Democrats passed it on AP calls. In the Senate, Democrats flipped seven Republican-held seats to clear the 51-seat threshold. Alaska and Mississippi were still uncalled at noon ET on Wednesday, and 68 House races remained uncalled.
The Senate: seven seats flipped
Democrats picked up at least seven Republican-held Senate seats, according to AP reporting, in a night that reached deep into states Trump carried in 2024:
| State | Democratic winner | Seat taken from |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas | Adam Hamilton | Republican-held seat |
| Iowa | Josh Turek | Republican-held seat |
| Texas | James Talarico | Attorney General Ken Paxton |
| Ohio | Sherrod Brown | Republican-held seat |
| Maine | Troy Jackson | Sen. Susan Collins |
| North Carolina | Roy Cooper | Republican-held seat |
| South Carolina | Annie Andrews | Republican-held seat |
The gains were not confined to battlegrounds. Texas, Kansas, Iowa and Ohio all voted for Trump in 2024, and Democrats also retained key seats in Georgia and Michigan. Two Senate races — Alaska and Mississippi — were still too close to call at noon ET on Wednesday, with Democrats leading in both, by a few dozen votes in Mississippi and by 626 votes in Alaska with about 74% counted there.
The opposition Democratic Party has won control of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, according to media projections, capitalizing on widespread voter discontent over Republican President Donald Trump's policies on inflation, tariffs, AI data centers and the Iran war. — Nikkei Asia
The House: the majority crossed overnight
The AP called the House for the Democrats after the party passed 218 seats. By noon ET on Wednesday, Democrats had 228 House seats called, with 68 races still uncalled, according to AP calls tracked by The Guardian. Before the election, Republicans held 218 seats to the Democrats' 214.
Democrats won more than two dozen Republican-held House seats, including several districts that had voted for Trump by double-digit margins in 2024. The final House margin will not be known until counting and state certification finish — race calls are projections based on counted votes, not the certified result.
What changes now
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries is poised to become the first Black Speaker of the House of Representatives, Reuters reported, after Democrats were projected to regain control of the chamber. The Speaker sets the House agenda, decides which bills reach a vote, and leads investigations — powers that now pass to the Democrats in both chambers.
For the White House, the practical effect is a wall in front of its legislative programme. Bills the president wants will need Democratic support in at least one chamber, and Democrats can open investigations into the administration. Trump, who accepted the outcome in a Fox News interview according to Reuters, warned he would veto legislation he opposed.
Talk of a third impeachment followed immediately. Polymarket put the odds of Trump being impeached by the end of 2027 at 49% by Wednesday morning, up from 20% on Tuesday afternoon, according to Newsweek. An impeachment would still require a House majority to charge and a two-thirds Senate majority to convict — a far higher bar than winning an election.
Race calls are not final results. Vote counting and state certification are separate steps. Seat totals may change as outstanding races are resolved, and the final size of each majority remains unsettled while races are still being counted.
Why voters moved
The cost of living dominated. A Reuters/Ipsos poll of 1,765 U.S. adults, conducted before Election Day, found that 48% of registered voters named the cost of living as the top issue guiding their vote; 26% cited democratic norms and 13% immigration. The AP Voter Poll, a survey of about 80,000 voters, found that roughly three-quarters were angry or dissatisfied with the country's direction.
The war with Iran was the other driver. Reporting on the results linked Democratic gains in part to deep frustration over the unpopular war, and Trump himself agreed that the Republicans' defeat could be related to the war and the resulting increase in fuel prices. Democrats campaigned on ending the conflict, and how the new Congress uses its war-powers and funding authority will be one of the first tests of divided government.
Firsts of the night
The results produced several firsts. Adam Hamilton became Kansas's first Democratic senator in 94 years. Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan became the first Muslim elected to the US Senate. And former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms won the Georgia governor's race, becoming the first Black woman elected governor of a US state.
Frequently asked questions
When does the new Congress take power?
The new terms begin in January, when the newly elected members are sworn in. Until then, the current Congress remains in place, and the results change nothing about who holds power today.
What does divided government actually mean?
The president is a Republican and both chambers of Congress will be Democratic. Neither side can pass legislation alone: the president can veto bills, Congress can override a veto only with two-thirds majorities, and the two sides must agree on spending, debt and any new laws.
Can Democrats stop Trump's agenda?
They can block new legislation and use committee and investigative powers. They cannot unilaterally reverse executive actions, and the president retains the veto. The balance is stalemate unless the two sides negotiate.
Does the result change the Iran war?
Not by itself. Congress controls war powers and military funding in principle, but using those tools requires votes the Democrats may or may not be able to assemble, and any measure would face a presidential veto. The election changes the politics of the war; the policy question is still open.
Are the results final?
Not yet. Dozens of House races and two Senate races were still uncalled at noon ET on Wednesday, and state certification follows the count. The control of both chambers is decided; the exact margins are not.
Key takeaways
- Democrats won both the House and the Senate in the November 3 midterms, according to AP race calls — the first Democratic Congress of Trump's second term.
- Seven Republican-held Senate seats flipped, including Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Ohio, Maine, North Carolina and South Carolina.
- Hakeem Jeffries is poised to become the first Black Speaker of the House.
- Cost of living was the top issue for voters, followed by democratic norms; the Iran war was a significant second driver.
- Divided government begins in January: Democrats control Congress's agenda, Trump keeps the veto, and the final seat counts are still being settled.
What to watch next: the remaining race calls in Alaska, Mississippi and the 68 uncalled House districts; state certifications over the coming weeks; the Speaker election when the new House convenes in January; and the first test of divided government — whether the two sides can agree on spending, or head for a funding fight. The United States is also due to host Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Abu Dhabi for peace talks within a week, a file the new Congress will inherit.
