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Democrats win US Congress in midterm vote, projections show

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Ongoing: US mid-terms Hot

Democrats won back the US House and Senate in Tuesday's midterm elections, according to media projections. Exit polls showed voters angry about high prices and the direction of the country, and a rebuke of President Donald Trump.

Democrat James Talarico beat Republican attorney general Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate race. Annie Andrews, a paediatrician, beat Republican senator Darline Graham in South Carolina. Reports said Democrats also won Senate races in Ohio, Kansas and North Carolina, and flipped eight Republican House seats.

Exit polls showed three-quarters of voters were angry or dissatisfied with the direction of the country. Half saw the vote as a chance to rebuke the president. 70% wanted Congress to provide more checks on him. Reports linked the anger to fuel price rises after Trump launched a war against Iran in February.

Trump wrote on social media that he was not on the ballot and would have won in a landslide if he had been. He also told media outlets he would accept the results and work with Democrats. Senator Jon Ossoff said voters had rebuked Trump after his projected win in Georgia.

Before the vote, the Justice Department deployed 1,000 monitors to all 50 states. Democrats criticised the plan as possible voter intimidation. Analysts said winning Congress could bring Democrats pressure to address economic worries.

Key facts

Who
Donald Trump (US President); Scott Bessent (US treasury secretary); JD Vance (US vice-president); John Fetterman (Pennsylvania Democrat senator)
What
US midterm elections are taking place, with polling pointing to a "blue wave" that would give Democrats majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate. The vote is widely seen as a referendum on Trump's leadership amid inflation and fuel price rises linked to the Iran war.
When
2 November 2026
Where
United States, Michigan, Alaska
Status
Reported

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