Democrats take both chambers of Congress after voters flip key seats in Texas, Ohio, and Iowa

Democrats have seized control of both the House and the Senate. The party won the House with what may be its largest majority in nearly 20 years. This victory comes after Democrats flipped five Republican-held seats in Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas.

Voters expressed strong dissatisfaction with the current administration. In an NBC News exit poll, 43% of midterm voters said they voted their way specifically to oppose President Donald Trump. Another 71% of voters, including 41% of Republicans, stated that Congress had not done enough to oversee the president. Affordability, corruption, immigration, and the war in Iran were also central issues for many voters.

The shift in the Senate followed a decisive win in the House. Democrats overcame a challenging map that featured battlegrounds in red states won by Trump in his previous presidential bids. Latino voters played a major role in the Democratic surge. An NBC News poll released Sunday showed Democrats holding a 27-point lead among Latino voters. This is a stark contrast to 2024, when Trump lost that demographic by only 7 points.

President Trump reacted quickly to the results. In a social media post on Tuesday evening, he claimed he was not actually on the ballot. “I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!” he wrote. He had previously urged voters to pretend he was on the ballot, framing the midterms as a referendum on his policies.

The new Congress will face immediate leadership decisions. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is on track to become the first Black speaker of the House. Democrats will hold internal leadership elections the week of November 16. Jeffries will need 218 votes on January 3 to formally take the gavel. In the Senate, Chuck Schumer is expected to return to the role of majority leader.

With full control of Congress, Democratic leaders plan to expand their oversight capabilities. They intend to investigate the president’s family business dealings, the immigration crackdown, and White House renovations. Representatives Robert Garcia and Jamie Raskin are leading these efforts. Schumer said the goal is to lower costs and end corruption. “Plain and simple,” he said.

The election outcome may also affect the Supreme Court. Democrats are now positioned to block any nominees Trump puts forward. Senator Richard Blumenthal said support for a Trump nominee is “slim to none.” The results could also reshape the 2028 Republican primary, potentially affecting Vice President JD Vance’s path to the nomination.