Democrats Seize Control of Both House and Senate in Midterm Sweep

Democrats took control of both chambers of Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections, a result that will shift power in Washington beginning in January.

As of Wednesday morning, the Democratic Party had flipped seven Senate seats and dozens of House districts previously held by Republicans. The party's victories extended into traditionally red states, including surprising wins in Texas and South Carolina. Races in Mississippi and Alaska remained too close to call as counting continued.

More than 124 million ballots were cast in the election, according to the University of Florida Election Lab. This total surpasses the previous midterm record of nearly 119 million ballots set in 2018.

President Trump offered mixed messages as the results came in. In an interview with Fox News, he congratulated Democrats for their efforts. He later told Politico that Republicans struggled to turn out supporters because he was not on the ballot. The president also posted an image of a red hat with the word VETO on it, signaling his intention to use his rejection power against the new congressional majority. He expressed a willingness to negotiate with Democrats despite the partisan shift.

The new Democratic majorities will take office in January. This change gives the president's opponents greater power to investigate the administration, challenge his legislative agenda, and block his nominees.

Democrats must now select their new leadership. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York and Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York currently lead their respective parties. Both require support from their colleagues to retain those roles. Jeffries would need to win a vote of the full House to become speaker when the new Congress convenes on January 3. If elected, he would become the first Black speaker in U.S. history. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has endorsed Jeffries, praising his leadership following the victory.