DEMOCRATS SEIZE CONTROL OF US CONGRESS AS TRUMP SUFFERS SWEEPING MIDTERM DEFEATS

Written by: Seringe S.T. Touray

President Donald Trump and his Republican Party have suffered major political setbacks in Tuesday’s US midterm elections, with Democrats capturing control of both the Senate and House of Representatives after securing historic victories across several traditionally Republican strongholds.

Among the biggest upsets, Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Texas Governor Greg Abbott, ending more than three decades of Republican control of the governorship and becoming the state’s first Latina governor. In another major defeat for Republicans, James Talarico defeated Ken Paxton to become the first Democrat elected to the US Senate from Texas since 1988.

In South Carolina, Democrat Annie Andrews defeated Republican Senator Darline Graham, securing the party’s first Senate victory in the state since 1998. Democrats also captured Republican-held Senate seats in Kansas, Iowa and Ohio, where former Senator Sherrod Brown defeated incumbent Jon Husted, while former Governor Roy Cooper won North Carolina’s Senate race.

The Democratic wave extended to several governorships, including Georgia, where former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor in US history. Democrats also won governorships in Ohio and Iowa, further weakening Republican control at state level.

The elections produced other historic milestones, with Abdul El-Sayed becoming the first Muslim elected to the US Senate after winning in Michigan, while Xavier Becerra became California’s first elected Latino governor.

According to Reuters and the Associated Press, widespread frustration over rising living costs, President Trump’s handling of the economy and the unpopular US war with Iran contributed to the Republican defeats. Exit polls also indicated that 70% of voters wanted Congress to exercise stronger checks on presidential power.

The results represent a major shift in American politics just two years after Trump’s return to the White House. With Democrats set to control both chambers of Congress from January 2027, they will gain greater powers to investigate his administration, block presidential nominees requiring Senate approval and challenge his legislative agenda during the remaining two years of his presidency.