Democrats win US Senate in sweeping midterm setback for Trump

Democrats won control of the US Senate in Tuesday’s midterm elections, capturing seats in Republican strongholds and delivering a major setback to President Donald Trump halfway through his second term.

Victories in Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Ohio and the Carolinas overturned Republican expectations that their Senate majority would survive. In Maine, veteran Republican Susan Collins lost to Democrat Troy Jackson.

The BBC also reported that Democrats had secured a House of Representatives majority. The Associated Press account, with House results still coming in, described the party as approaching control of that chamber.

The results give Democrats a powerful platform to challenge Trump during his final two years in office, with party leaders promising investigations and a renewed focus on the cost of living.

Republican strongholds fall

Some of the most striking Democratic victories came in states that had long resisted the party’s Senate candidates.

Adam Hamilton defeated Republican Senator Roger Marshall in Kansas, becoming the state’s first Democratic senator since 1932. In Texas, James Talarico beat Ken Paxton, whom Trump had endorsed during the Republican primary.

Josh Turek defeated Republican Ashley Hinson in Iowa, while former senator Sherrod Brown won his Ohio comeback against Jon Husted. Roy Cooper captured North Carolina’s open Senate seat, and Annie Andrews defeated Darline Graham in South Carolina.

Democrats also held important seats. Senator Jon Ossoff won re-election in Georgia against Republican Mike Collins, while Chris Pappas defeated former senator John Sununu in New Hampshire to succeed retiring Democrat Jeanne Shaheen.

The shift extended beyond Congress. Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who had been seeking a fourth term. In Ohio, Democrat Amy Acton beat Republican Vivek Ramaswamy.

Living costs weigh on voters

Financial pressure was a central feature of the election. According to the AP Voter Poll, about three-quarters of voters described the economy as “not so good” or “poor”, while roughly eight in 10 said inflation had caused moderate or severe financial hardship for their households.

About three-quarters said they were angry or dissatisfied with the country’s direction. Roughly half identified government corruption and the cost of living as crucial to their congressional vote, placing both above immigration enforcement, the war in Iran and artificial intelligence data centres.

Those findings did not amount to overwhelming enthusiasm for the winning party. Just under half of voters viewed Democrats favourably, compared with about four in 10 who viewed Republicans positively.

Republicans had poured tens of millions of dollars into defending states and districts that Trump won comfortably in 2024. The president campaigned extensively in the closing weeks, but those efforts failed to prevent substantial losses.

A more confrontational Congress

Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer called the result a “generational remake of the Senate map”. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has outlined a 100-day agenda centred on reducing living costs and overseeing the administration.

AP reported that Democrats were considering investigations involving Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and former Trump adviser Elon Musk, alongside broader scrutiny of the administration.

Trump rejected the suggestion that the election represented a personal defeat. In a late-night Fox News interview, he said voters “didn’t like the candidates” and said he would accept the results. He also signalled resistance to Democratic legislation by posting an image of a red campaign-style cap bearing the word “veto”.

The Senate victory alone ends unified Republican control in Washington. The scale of the Democratic gains leaves Trump facing a markedly less accommodating Congress for the remainder of his presidency.