A Democratic wave swept the United States Congress as Americans turned out in near-record numbers to strip President Donald Trump’s Republicans of their majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
About 122.7 million ballots have already been counted in the November 3 midterm elections, according to preliminary estimates from the University of Florida’s Election Lab. About 48.8 percent of the eligible population voted, the second-highest midterm turnout in more than a century, just below 2018.
In this visual explainer, Al Jazeera maps the seats Democrats flipped, charts turnout across the country, and looks at the history made on election night.
What are the latest results?
Votes are still being counted, but as of 09:00 GMT on Thursday, November 5, Democrats have won at least 240 seats in the House and 54 in the Senate, enough to control both chambers. Republicans have won 147 House seats and 44 in the Senate.
Forty-eight House races and two Senate races, in Alaska and Mississippi, have yet to be called. Democrats could end up with more than 260 seats in the House and 56 in the Senate.
Who voted?
Of about 210 million registered voters, 54.5 million had already cast their ballots early by 10am US East Coast time (15:00 GMT) on Sunday, November 1, according to the University of Florida’s Election Lab. About 30 million voted in person and 24 million by mail.
By the time polls closed on Tuesday, the total had more than doubled. The Election Lab estimates that 122.7 million ballots have been tallied, with 48.76 percent of eligible voters casting a ballot.
Turnout varied widely by state. Maine recorded the highest, with 65.78 percent of eligible voters casting a ballot, followed by Minnesota (65.16 percent) and Michigan (63.65 percent). West Virginia had the lowest, at 33.33 percent, followed by Oklahoma (37.08 percent) and Hawaii (37.68 percent).
How Democrats regained the Senate
Democrats needed a net gain of four Senate seats to reach 51, the number needed for a majority, because Vice President JD Vance can break a 50-50 tie in Republicans’ favour.
They went well beyond that, flipping seven Republican-held seats and securing at least 54 seats in the incoming Senate.
James Talarico won in Texas, Roy Cooper in North Carolina, Annie Andrews in South Carolina, Sherrod Brown in Ohio, Josh Turek in Iowa, and Adam Hamilton in Kansas. In Maine, Democrats unseated Susan Collins.
Democrats also held onto all their existing seats, even when they had a new candidate, like Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan.
How Democrats regained the House
In the 435-member House, the target was 218 seats for a majority.
Democrats crossed that threshold with ease, flipping at least 31 Republican-held districts across the country, including in areas reshaped by new congressional maps. The gains came both in closely contested districts and in places where Democratic victories were less expected.
In New York’s 17th congressional district, Cait Conley defeated Mike Lawler, and in New Jersey’s 7th, Rebecca Bennett unseated Thomas Kean Jr. In Virginia’s 2nd, Elaine Luria defeated Jen Kiggans, while in Wisconsin’s 3rd, Rebecca Cooke defeated Derrick Van Orden. In Michigan’s 4th, Democrat Sean McCann defeated Bill Huizenga, an eight-term incumbent.
Historic firsts
In Texas, Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton, giving the state its first Democratic senator since 1993. Gina Hinojosa also unseated Republican Governor Greg Abbott, becoming the state’s first Latina governor, and its first Democratic governor since 1994.
The breakthroughs reached well beyond Texas. Kansas elected its first Democratic senator since 1932, and South Carolina will have its first since 2005.
Democrats also flipped seats in Iowa, Maine, North Carolina and Ohio. Together, the wins broke through Republican strongholds across the South and Midwest, stripping Trump’s party of its Senate majority with two years of his term remaining.
Several other candidates also made history:
Michigan: Abdul El-Sayed became the first Muslim elected to the US Senate.
New Hampshire: Chris Pappas became the first openly gay man elected to the Senate.
Georgia: Keisha Lance Bottoms, the great-great-granddaughter of a slave, became the first Black woman elected governor of a US state.
New Mexico: Deb Haaland became the first Native American woman elected governor.
US House: Hakeem Jeffries could become the first Black speaker of the House if the chamber elects him in January.
What happens next?
Control of the House gives Democrats the power to block Republican legislation, lead House committees and investigate the Trump administration. But the president can still veto bills they pass, and overriding a veto requires a two-thirds majority in both chambers, which Democrats do not have.
The new Congress takes office on January 3, 2027. Until then, Republicans keep control of both chambers.
