In the midterm elections held on November 3 in the USA, the Democratic Party gained the majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate, ending the control of the Republicans over Congress.
Democrats' gains were not limited to Washington. While the party won governorships in states where Republicans have been strong for years, it also made significant progress in state assemblies.
The election results brought to the fore the impact of the economic and foreign policy strategies followed by President Donald Trump in his second term on the voters.
In particular, tariffs, the Iran war and increasing living costs were the main problems faced by Republican candidates in their election campaigns.
In the analysis of the election results by the Washington Post newspaper, attention was drawn to the gains made by the Democrats with candidates from different political and social segments, the unsuccessful strategies of the Republicans and the election expenses of billionaires.
DEMOCRATS WON WITH CANDIDATES FROM DIFFERENT SECTIONS
It was evaluated that candidates from different professions, social groups and political tendencies were effective in the electoral success of the Democratic Party.
The party has fielded names from diverse backgrounds in House races, such as Indiana's first openly gay state lawmaker and an artist known for Tejano music in Texas.
In the Senate races, candidates such as a religious official in Kansas, a pediatrician in South Carolina and Abdul El-Sayed, known for his progressive views in Michigan, came to the fore.
El-Sayed, who won the Senate race in Michigan, argued in his victory speech that Republicans have an understanding of America that excludes some segments of society.
"They want an America that is too narrow for some of us. We know that America is big enough for all of us," El-Sayed said.
In addition to their own voter base, Democrats also gained support from young people, white women and Latino voters in states where Republicans are strong.
These results showed that the Democratic Party was able to reach a wide range of voters with candidates with ideological differences.
DEMOCRATS WON THE MAJORITY IN GOVERNORATES AFTER 16 YEARS
The Democratic Party made significant gains in state governorships as well as in the Congressional elections.
The party has reached a position to control the majority of governorships across the United States for the first time since 2010.
In addition to states where competition between the two parties was intense, such as Nevada and Wisconsin, Democratic candidates also won the elections in Iowa, Ohio and Georgia.
In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Governor Greg Abbott and became the first Latina woman elected governor in the state's history.
Democrats' gains were reflected in state legislatures. Control of all elected branches of state government passed to Democrats in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
In Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, and Texas, Republicans' unified control of the governorship and state legislatures is over.
These changes are expected to affect decisions made by state governments on issues such as reorganization of electoral districts, abortion, climate policies, education and taxation.
PUBLIC OPINION SURVEYS SHOW THE RISE OF DEMOCRATS
Public opinion polls published before the elections showed that Trump's support among voters was declining and the desire of Democratic voters to go to the polls was increasing.
Polls showed that Democrats could win the House of Representatives and reach a majority in the Senate.
However, there was uncertainty about the participation of Republican voters in the ballot box and the preferences of undecided voters.
Election results revealed that polls accurately reflected the general trend toward Democrats, but understated the size of the party's gains in some cases.
The fact that Democrats won in regions where Republicans were strong was considered a result that went beyond pre-election expectations.
CONCERNS ABOUT INTERVENTION ON ELECTION DAY ARE GONE BEHIND
Statements by Trump and some of his Republican allies before the election raised concerns that the federal government might intervene in the voting process.
While Trump did not rule out the possibility of sending soldiers to election centers, his administration intensified investigations into allegations that non-citizens voted shortly before the elections.
Federal authorities' search of the home of a Democratic member of Congress and the launch of a criminal investigation into the Senate election in Alaska also caused controversy.
On the other hand, some of the Ministry of Justice's initiatives related to the elections were blocked by judicial bodies, including the Supreme Court.
State election officials said they had long been preparing for the possibility of federal intervention.
In his statement before the elections, Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar said, "We have been working since the Wednesday immediately after the previous election to prepare for this election."
Elections across the country were completed without any serious disruption. Although vote counting continues in some races, election experts believe that the winning candidates may take office in January.
THOSE WHO SUPPORT TRUMP'S ECONOMIC POLICIES LOST
Among the losers of the elections were Republican candidates who strongly supported Trump's economic policies.
The tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on imported products and the economic effects of the Iran war caused reactions, especially in states where agricultural and industrial production is intense.
Policies towards imported beef have also drawn criticism from American livestock producers.
In traditionally Republican-strong states such as Oklahoma and Iowa, some party candidates tried to distance themselves from Trump's economic policies as the elections approached. However, these initiatives were not enough to prevent election defeat.
Drew Brazie, who works in the construction industry in Iowa, stated that this time he did not vote for the Republican Congressman whose election he had previously supported.
Brazie said he thinks he will continue to support Trump's policies if that candidate wins again.
Although Trump's name was not on the ballot papers, he came to the fore in the Republican campaigns by holding approximately 24 election rallies in October, causing the elections to turn into an evaluation of the president's policies.
REPUBLICANS' Electoral District Plan Did Not Work
One of the important strategies of the Republicans before the election was to rearrange the boundaries of the House of Representatives electoral districts in their favor.
At Trump's call, electoral districts in some states were redrawn to increase the chances of Republican candidates winning.
This practice, known as gerrymandering in US politics, refers to the arrangement of electoral districts to provide an advantage to a particular political party.
But Democrats also won some districts in Texas and Florida that were expected to give Republicans an advantage.
These results showed that the Republicans' strategy of preserving their number of seats in the House of Representatives by redrawing electoral districts did not yield the expected results.
ELON MUSK'S 158 MILLION DOLLAR SUPPORT WAS NOT ENOUGH
Another prominent aspect of the elections was the high donations made by billionaires to political campaigns.
Particularly leading figures in the technology world allocated large amounts of resources to support Republican candidates.
Tesla and SpaceX owner Elon Musk donated $158 million to the political group supporting Republican Ken Paxton in his Senate race in Texas.
However, Paxton lost the election to his Democratic opponent, James Talarico.
Republican groups also poured significant resources into Senate races in Michigan, Ohio, Texas and Iowa in the final week of the elections. Despite this, Democratic candidates prevailed in these states.
According to OpenSecrets, an organization that tracks election spending, total political spending was projected to reach approximately $12 billion in the 2026 midterm elections.
While the influence of billionaires and big donors in election campaigns continues to be debated, the results revealed that high political expenditures do not guarantee election victory.
POLITICAL BALANCES ARE BEING RESHAPED IN THE USA
Democrats winning the majority in both houses of Congress and strengthening their position in state governments marked the beginning of a new era in US politics.
Election results showed that voter dissatisfaction with the Trump administration's decisions, especially in the field of economy and foreign policy, was also effective in regions where Republicans were traditionally strong.
Democrats' new majority in Congress will expand their powers to monitor the Trump administration's activities, initiate investigations and block legislative proposals.
In addition, the party will have to meet voter expectations regarding issues such as the cost of living, healthcare and economic inequality, which were highlighted in the election campaign.
