Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Nov 4: US President Donald Trump's decision to make himself the central figure in the 2026 midterm elections has backfired, with Democratic candidates registering sweeping victories across the country and securing control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Democrats made significant gains in several traditionally Republican strongholds, including Texas, Kansas, Iowa and South Carolina, besides winning key contests in Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire and North Carolina. The results mark a major setback for Trump, who had repeatedly urged voters to treat the elections as a referendum on his presidency.
The victories also produced historic milestones. Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms won the Georgia governorship, becoming the first Black woman elected governor in US history, while Gina Hinojosa's victory in Texas made her the state's first Latina governor.
The Associated Press Voter Poll indicated widespread dissatisfaction with the direction of the country, with roughly three-quarters of voters describing themselves as angry or dissatisfied. Among voters who considered Trump while casting their ballots, around twice as many said they wanted to oppose him as those who wanted to support him.
Economic concerns played a significant role, with approximately six in 10 voters blaming Trump's policies for higher-than-usual prices. Around six in 10 also disapproved of his job performance, while nearly 70 per cent wanted Congress to impose stronger checks and balances on the presidency.
The Republican Party also lost support among key voter groups that had contributed to Trump's 2024 presidential victory. Young voters, Hispanic voters and Black men shifted significantly towards Democratic candidates.
Among voters under 30, nearly seven in 10 said they supported the Democratic candidate in their local House race. This marked a sharp change from the 2024 presidential election, when young voters were almost evenly divided between Trump and Kamala Harris.
Republican support among Black men also declined, with only around one in 10 backing the party's House candidates, compared with roughly one-quarter who had supported Trump in 2024. Around nine in 10 Black voters backed Democratic House candidates.
Hispanic voters showed a similar shift, with approximately six in 10 supporting Democratic candidates in House races. Around seven in 10 Hispanic voters also said Trump's policies had worsened economic conditions.
Democrats make historic gains
The results mark only the fourth time since World War II that the same party has captured both chambers of Congress in a midterm election, following similar political shifts in 1946, 1994 and 2006.
Democrats secured major victories in Senate and gubernatorial contests across several states that Trump had carried comfortably in 2024.
In Georgia, Senator Jon Ossoff won re-election, while Bottoms captured the governorship. In North Carolina, former governor Roy Cooper defeated Republican Michael Whatley in the Senate race. Democrat Chris Pappas won in New Hampshire, becoming the first openly gay man elected to the US Senate.
In Ohio, former senator Sherrod Brown defeated Republican incumbent Jon Husted, while former state health official Amy Acton won the governorship against Trump ally Vivek Ramaswamy.
Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed also secured victory, becoming the first Muslim senator. In Kansas, Adam Hamilton defeated incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall, marking the first time in nearly a century that the state elected a Democrat to the Senate.
Texas delivered another major setback to Republicans, with James Talarico winning the Senate race and Hinojosa defeating three-term Republican governor Greg Abbott.
In South Carolina, Democrat Annie Andrews defeated Darline Graham, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, in a closely watched Senate contest.
Trump-backed candidates suffer defeats
Several Republican candidates backed by Trump failed to secure victories despite substantial campaign spending and the president's personal support.
In Texas, Republican Ken Paxton struggled to overcome controversies surrounding his record, with voter surveys indicating widespread doubts about his personal character.
In South Carolina, Darline Graham faced questions over her experience, while in Georgia, Republican Senate candidate Mike Collins came under criticism over alleged links to white supremacist groups. A significant share of voters considered his political views too extreme.
In North Carolina, Trump's preferred candidate Michael Whatley lost to Cooper. Whatley had previously served as chairman of the Republican National Committee after being elevated to the position by Trump.
Kansas incumbent Roger Marshall also faced criticism over his decision to sue patients for outstanding medical bills, an issue that featured prominently in the campaign.
The defeats have raised questions about Trump's influence over Republican primary selections and his ability to help candidates win general elections.
Democrats face internal challenges
Despite the sweeping victories, the results do not necessarily indicate widespread enthusiasm for the Democratic Party itself. The AP Voter Poll found that around half of voters viewed the party unfavourably, although negative opinions of Republicans were higher.
The outcome is likely to intensify the debate between the Democratic Party's progressive wing and its liberal-to-moderate establishment over the direction of the party.
Moderate leaders, including Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Maryland Governor Wes Moore, secured re-election, strengthening their standing within the party ahead of the 2028 presidential contest.
Progressives also claimed a significant victory through El-Sayed's Senate win in Michigan. His victory is expected to strengthen arguments within the party that candidates with progressive political positions can succeed in competitive states.
Redistricting strategy backfires
Trump's push to redraw congressional boundaries in Republican-controlled states also appeared to have failed to deliver the expected gains.
After Texas moved to redraw its congressional districts, California Governor Gavin Newsom encouraged a countermeasure in his state. Other Democratic- and Republican-controlled states subsequently followed with their own redistricting efforts.
The US Supreme Court's decision to strike down part of the Voting Rights Act also allowed several Southern states to redraw districts that had previously been majority- or near-majority-Black.
However, Democratic candidates managed to win several seats in districts that Republicans had redrawn to improve their electoral prospects.
In Florida, Democrats won three congressional districts that Republicans had modified earlier in the year. In Texas, Democratic candidates also secured victories in three redrawn districts along the US-Mexico border with large Latino populations.
Democratic incumbents Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez retained their seats, while Bobby Pulido defeated Republican incumbent Monica De La Cruz.
The results have given Democrats control of Congress, placing significant limits on Trump's legislative agenda during the final two years of his presidency. The new Democratic majorities will also have greater powers to scrutinise the administration and investigate its policies.
With the 2028 presidential election cycle expected to begin gathering momentum, the midterm results have set the stage for a fresh political contest within both parties over leadership, strategy and the direction of American politics.