President Donald Trump will face Democratic majorities in both chambers of Congress for the final two years of his term after Republicans lost the House and Senate in Tuesday’s midterm elections. The Associated Press called control of both chambers for Democrats, with the new congressional terms beginning January 3, 2027.
Democrats crossed the 218-seat threshold needed to win the 435-member House early Wednesday, after securing the Senate on Tuesday. Votes were still being counted in outstanding races, leaving the final size of the majorities unsettled.
Seven Senate seats flip to Democrats
Republicans entered the election with 53 Senate seats, against 47 held by Democrats and allied independents. Democrats needed a net gain of four seats to guarantee control.
They flipped seven Republican-held seats: North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Kansas, Iowa and Maine. The winners included former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown. James Talarico defeated Ken Paxton in Texas, while Annie Andrews beat Darline Graham in South Carolina. In Maine, Troy Jackson defeated longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Josh Turek won in Iowa, and Adam Hamilton defeated Republican Sen. Roger Marshall in Kansas, becoming the first Democrat elected to the Senate from that state since 1932. Democrats also made gains in House districts Republicans had sought to protect through redistricting.
What Democratic control of Congress means for Trump
The new majorities will give Democrats control of congressional committees and greater influence over legislation and federal spending. Party leaders have signaled plans for investigations into the administration, including the conduct of federal agencies and the business interests of Trump and his family.
Senate control is especially consequential because the chamber confirms presidential nominees. Democrats will be able to reject Trump’s choices for Cabinet positions and federal judgeships, including any Supreme Court nomination if a vacancy opens.
Trump will retain the presidency and the power to veto legislation. Overriding a veto requires a two-thirds vote in each chamber, meaning Democratic majorities alone will not be sufficient to enact measures over his objections. Government funding and other major legislation will remain subjects of negotiation between Congress and the White House.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries is poised to become the country’s first Black speaker. The New York congressman must still be nominated by his party and elected by the House when the new Congress meets in January.
Living costs and the Iran war shape the election
The election followed months of voter frustration over household expenses. Higher fuel prices, elevated borrowing costs and housing affordability had weighed on Americans, even as employment and economic growth remained comparatively resilient.
The war with Iran remained part of that economic and political backdrop. US strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island on Monday brought fresh military action just one day before Americans voted.
Trump accepted the election outcome and congratulated Democrats during a Fox News interview. He indicated he could work with the party on immigration, while threatening to veto legislation he considered unacceptable.
“Americans voted for change, and now Democrats must deliver,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said, according to Reuters.
Greek Americans on both sides of the new Congress
Democrat Chris Pappas won New Hampshire’s open Senate seat, succeeding retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and keeping the seat in Democratic hands.
Democratic Reps. Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire and Dina Titus of Nevada also won reelection. They are among the seven Greek Americans elected to Congress in this year’s contests.
The Republican winners include Florida’s three Greek-American congressmen—Gus Bilirakis, Mike Haridopolos and Jimmy Patronis—and New York’s Nicole Malliotakis, who will serve in the House minority when the new Congress begins.
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