Democrats scored a series of major wins in Tuesday’s elections, flipping seats in several battlegrounds and putting them on course to take control of the House and Senate. The results marked a significant setback for Republicans and President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda, according to the account reported by WIRED.
The party’s most striking victories came in Texas. James Talarico defeated Republican state attorney general Ken Paxton, while Gina Hinojosa won the gubernatorial race against Greg Abbott. The results ended a long stretch without a Democratic statewide win in Texas: the article says the party had not won a statewide seat since 1994. It also notes that Elon Musk spent heavily to support Republicans.
Democrats captured Senate races in Kansas, South Carolina, Iowa and North Carolina, while retaining seats in Georgia and New Hampshire, according to the Associated Press. They also won at least three Florida House seats affected by Republican redistricting, as well as a seat in North Carolina.
Trump administration officials cited higher gas prices and the increased cost of living associated with the Iran war as factors behind Republican losses. Exit polling also pointed to defections among parts of the coalition that backed Trump in 2024, including Latino voters, amid opposition to the administration’s immigration policies. Some officials privately blamed Trump’s decision to enter the conflict, which they said had continued without a clear end in sight.
Other Republicans pointed to candidate quality and a failed redistricting strategy. The effort to redraw congressional maps had been intended to help Republicans gain House seats, but it also made some districts less reliably Republican. Several candidates who lost had been personally backed by Trump.
Florida’s Senate race offered Republicans a narrow bright spot: incumbent Ashley Moody narrowly defeated Democrat Angie Nixon after the contest tightened late in the campaign.
With control of both chambers appearing to shift, House Democrats signaled plans for heightened oversight of the Trump administration. Robert Garcia, who is set to chair the House Oversight Committee, responded to the results with the words: “Lawyer up.”
Sources: WIRED.