US midterm results handed Democrats control of both chambers of Congress and a string of governors’ mansions after Tuesday’s voting, marking a sharp setback for President Donald Trump’s political agenda.
Americans had already cast more than 61.7 million ballots before election day, according to the University of Florida’s Election Lab—a record for early voting in US midterms. That early surge is widely seen as having helped Democrats, who have long turned out early more often than Republican voters. Turnout was strong among African Americans, young people and other groups that usually lean Democratic, feeding a wave that carried key races.
Money, ads and the $11.9bn race
Total spending on the 2026 midterms climbed to a record $11.9 billion, well above the $8.9 billion spent in 2022, OpenSecrets said. Outside groups, including spending tied to Trump ally Elon Musk, favoured Republicans by about $360 million. Democratic candidates still raised heavily on their own: House and Senate campaigns spent an unprecedented $3.7 billion from their war chests, and Democrats outspent Republicans by $800 million, OpenSecrets found.
In Texas, Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico raised about $145 million—several times the $22 million brought in by Republican rival Ken Paxton, who leaned on outside groups.
Senate flips in Texas, Kansas and South Carolina
Texas sent a Democrat to the Senate for the first time since 1988, with Talarico upsetting the Republican hold in a seat last flipped the year before he was born. In Kansas, Methodist megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton—registered as a Republican until recently—unseated Republican incumbent Roger Marshall. Hamilton became the first Democrat to win a Kansas Senate race since 1932.
South Carolina also broke a long drought. Voters chose Democrat Annie Andrews over Senator Darline Graham, who had been appointed earlier this year to the seat held by her late brother, Lindsey Graham. No South Carolina Democrat had won a Senate election since 1998.
Voters who shifted away from Trump
Young men and Latino voters—groups important to Trump—moved sharply toward Democrats, exit polls indicated. Hispanic voters had helped Trump in 2016 and were close in 2024, when they backed Democrat Kamala Harris only narrowly, 51 per cent to 48 per cent, according to Pew Research. On Tuesday, exit polls showed Latino voters preferring Democratic candidates by 62 per cent to 35 per cent.
Voters aged 18 to 29 backed Democrats by 72 per cent to 25 per cent, exit polls showed—a clear change from 2024, when young voters were split between Trump and Harris. Together with the early-vote record and the Senate upsets, those shifts framed the US midterm results as a broad Democratic advance rather than a handful of isolated wins.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- 2022: Midterm campaign spending totalled about $8.9 billion.
- 2024: Hispanic voters backed Harris over Trump only narrowly, 51% to 48%, Pew Research found; young voters were split.
- 2026 campaign: Outside spending favoured Republicans by roughly $360 million; candidate war chests still hit $3.7 billion.
- Before election day, 2026: More than 61.7 million early votes were cast, a midterm record.
- Tuesday night: Democrats took both chambers of Congress; Talarico, Hamilton and Andrews won Senate races in Texas, Kansas and South Carolina.
Aasan alfaaz mein
America ki midterm elections mein Democrats ne Congress dono houses jeet liye hain. Texas, Kansas aur South Carolina jaisi jagahon par bhi unke Senate candidates jeet gaye. Bohot se Latino aur jawan voters ne Republicans se doori ikhtiayar ki. Pakistanis ke liye seedha faida ya nuqsan abhi clear nahi, lekin Washington ki politics oil, dollar aur trade ki soch ko asar de sakti hai.
