Democrats have won both the House and Senate. Trump’s slump, a backfired redistricting push, shifting Latino votes and a historic Texas result drove the sweep, but voters are not fully sold on the winners either.
Democrats have won both the US House of Representatives and the Senate in Tuesday’s midterm elections, ushering in a new era of divided government. Signs had pointed their way for weeks, but the depth and breadth of the victories went beyond what most expected. Here are six takeaways on what happened, why, and what comes next.
1. Trump’s Unpopularity Weighed Down Republicans
President Donald Trump’s approval rating, averaged across polls, fell from 48 per cent to as low as 36 per cent after the Iran war began. A voter survey commissioned by the major broadcast networks found 62 per cent disapproved of his performance. Three-quarters of voters were angry or dissatisfied with the country’s direction, and two-thirds said his policies had worsened the economy. The war is dragging on and pushing up gas prices, adding to household strain.
2. The Redistricting Gamble Backfired
Trump strongly urged conservative-led states to redraw maps to gain House seats. The plan backfired, particularly in South Texas, where weakening safe districts made them competitive.
3. Latino Voters Swung Away From Republicans
Trump lost Latino voters by only five points in 2024, amid anger over inflation. Prices did not fall, and aggressive deportation tactics reached beyond hardened criminals. About 60 per cent of voters surveyed disapproved of how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is handling its job, including 68 per cent of Hispanic voters.
4. Texas Turned Democratic
James Talarico won the Senate seat by roughly 12 points, or about 1.1 million votes, the first Democratic Senate win in Texas since 1988. Gina Hinojosa won the governorship by 7 points. Democrats flipped two districts Trump carried by at least 14 points in 2024, and also won lieutenant governor, attorney general and railroad commissioner. Republicans spent more than $413 million on the Senate race and still lost.
5. Voters Have Not Embraced Democrats Either
Republicans held a 41 per cent favourable and 59 per cent unfavourable rating in the survey. Democrats stood at 47 per cent favourable and 53 per cent unfavourable.
6. The Polls Got It Right, and Undercounted Democrats
For a decade, polls underestimated Republican support. This time they did not. The national generic ballot favoured Democrats by about 8 points, while the voter survey suggests a margin of at least 13.
What Comes Next?
Power shifts in January. Democrats are set to take full control of Congress in January, ending unified Republican control.
A hard road to deliver. New York Senator Chuck Schumer promised overnight that “relief is on the way”. But Democrats will not have a filibuster-proof Senate majority, and late on election night Trump posted an image of a big red hat bearing the word VETO. Any bill that passes still has to clear the president’s desk.
sources: npr
