Democrats won the US midterm elections and, according to American media projections, will take control of the House of Representatives and the Senate in January. Donald Trump acknowledged that the Democrats „did well”.
According to NBC News projections, Democrats have won at least 218 seats, the majority needed in the House of Representatives, and their final tally is expected to be around 252–255 seats. MS NOW estimates are lower, at at least 245. The differences stem from the fact that some districts have yet to be decided. Republicans entered the election with a slim majority in both chambers. Democratic leader in the House Hakeem Jeffries is set to become the new Speaker after the new Congress convenes in January, according to NBC News.
Senate: a breakthrough in red states
The Senate is the bigger surprise. Republicans held a 53-to-47 advantage, and to take the chamber Democrats needed a net gain of four seats. According to NBC News, they won seven seats from Republicans: in Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Maine, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas. The broadcaster calculates that Democrats will have 53 seats in the new chamber.
Texas became the symbol of the night. As the Guardian reports, James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton there, ending a 38-year Democratic losing streak in Senate races in that state. In Maine, Republican Senator Susan Collins conceded defeat to Democrat Troy Jackson, Reuters reported.
Trump’s reaction and reasons for the defeat
Overnight, Trump told Fox News that the Democrats „did well” and „fought hard”. According to the BBC, he also admitted that the war with Iran had an impact on Republicans losing Congress. Newsweek, meanwhile, quotes his post on Truth Social, in which the president wrote that he was not on the ballot and that, if he had been, they would have „won in a landslide”. Asked about the war, he pointed to petrol prices.
An AP poll of voters found that the most important issues were the cost of living and corruption in government, and that voters were deeply dissatisfied with the president. The Washington Post writes that Democrats capitalised on discontent over prices and the war in Iran.
Historic „firsts”
Euronews highlights that the elections brought several breakthroughs: the first Black woman governor, the first openly gay senator and the first Native American woman governor. Meanwhile, in Florida, as the BBC reports, Republican Byron Donalds, backed by Trump, became governor, the state’s first Black governor.
What it means
From January, Trump will not have a majority in either chamber for the last two years of his term. Democrats have promised, among other things, to oversee the administration, and Senate control means influence over the confirmation of government and judicial nominations. For Poland and Europe, two things matter: Congress is responsible for funding military aid and the US defence budget, and the Democrats’ stance on the war with Iran may limit the president’s freedom in foreign policy. The shift in the balance of power will not happen immediately, however, as the current Congress sits until early January.
Final results will be officially announced by state authorities, and some races remain undecided.
