Democrats have delivered a stunning rebuke to President Donald Trump in the 2026 US midterm elections, seizing control of both chambers of Congress on a wave of anger over the US-Iran war and the soaring cost of living. The party flipped seats in deeply Republican states to secure at least 54 seats in the Senate to the Republicans’ 44, and gained at least 28 seats to retake the House of Representatives.
The result sets up two years of gridlock in Washington and marks the first time President Trump, who also served from 2017 to 2021, will face a Congress fully controlled by Democrats. For the first time in his second term, his agenda will meet a united opposition with the power to block, investigate and override.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the incoming majority would put affordability and accountability first. “We don’t work for Donald Trump,” Jeffries, a New York lawmaker set to become the first Black Speaker of the House, told reporters on Wednesday. “We work for the American people. And the days of the House of Representatives functioning like a wholly owned subsidiary of the Trump administration are over.
Vice President JD Vance, a possible successor in 2028, blamed the February attack on Iran for the Republican losses. The night also produced historic firsts, including Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms becoming the first Black woman governor in US history in Georgia, and New Mexico’s Deb Haaland becoming the first Native American woman elected governor. Final results in Mississippi and Alaska are still outstanding.
