The overwhelming victory of the Democratic Party in Texas in the midterm elections in the United States, the "midterms", consolidated the "blue wave" predicted in the country in the early hours of this Wednesday (4).
The party opposing US President Donald Trump flipped 7 of the 4 seats needed to assume the majority in the Senate — in total, 20 Democratic senators were elected.
In the House of Representatives, the Democratic Party secured at least 228 seats, with a minimum of 218 vacancies to take control of the House.
Results from Alaska and Mississippi remain under investigation until the publication of this report.
The scenario substantially changes the power dynamics in Washington. Without a majority in Congress, Trump will now face greater scrutiny over his policies, now under review by the opposition party.
In addition to the North American capital, the Democratic turn also has effects on the states. This is because 36 state governments were also in dispute.
In Texas, the second largest state in the country, a victory for the Democratic Party had not been seen, either in Congress or in the state government, for more than 30 years.
Dissatisfaction with the cost of living permeated the midterms. Food and fuel prices have been affected by Trump administration policies such as tariffs and the war in Iran.
Furthermore, as a state that borders Mexico and has a large Hispanic community, Texas has also found itself in the midst of immigration issues and seizures by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE.
If the Latino community was an important part of the Trump election in 2024, many in the group became critical of the federal government in the face of immigration policies.
Despite victories in the Senate and state government, the Republican Party won the majority of Texas House seats in Texas' 36 districts. At the time of writing, the Republicans had won 18 seats and the Democrats 12. Another 6 were up for grabs.
In the Senate, James Talarico won the seat over Republican Ken Paxton by 54.9% against 43.2%. A Democratic senator has not won Texas since 1994.
The Republican candidate, embroiled in corruption scandals, was supported by Donald Trump and received around US$150 million donated by Elon Musk to the campaign.
Evangelical and former seminarian, he used his Christian faith in the campaign to counter Donald Trump's Christian nationalism. The Democrat also campaigned by questioning the high costs of living and criticizing billionaires and Trump's immigration policy.
After the victory, Talarico celebrated the vote. "We were the underdogs in this election. We faced nearly 40 years of doubt and disillusionment. We faced more than $300 million, more than any Senate campaign in American history."
"We just proved that all the money in the world is no match for the people of Texas. We just showed that a politics of division is no match for a politics of love. And we just sent a message to every mega-donor billionaire, to every mega-donor trillionaire, to every corrupt defender of this broken political system in this state, in this country: The power belongs to the people," Talarico said.
Gina Hinojosa will be the first governor of Latino origin to govern the state. The Democrat won the race for governor of Texas, in the United States, with 57.1% of the vote against Republican Greg Abbott, who obtained 41.6% of the vote in the state.
Abbott, a leading figure in the Republican Party, was seeking his fourth re-election in the state. Hinojosa's election ends a 36-year streak without Democratic victories in Texas government. The party's last governor was Ann Richards, elected in 1990.
Through social media, the elected governor celebrated her victory and promised loyalty to the Texan people.
"There will be no special rules for the rich and powerful. I will not turn a blind eye when someone in my own party makes a mistake. The trust you have placed in me tonight is not a blank check. It is a sacred responsibility," said Gina Hinojosa.
