The Democratic Party has pulled off a stunning upset in the United States midterm elections, flipping multiple bellwether seats to win comfortable control of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
asserted
Party → pull → Representatives
The party has won 53 seats, and leads in three others in the 100-seat Senate.
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party → win → Senate
The Associated Press also reported that the party had won the House of Representatives — marking the first instance since Barack Obama’s second term that the incumbent president has neither chamber of Congress with him.
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chamber → report → him
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Andrews → celebrate → seat
With several races still too close to call, it could be several days before the final results are known, but several Democrats have already painted the outcome as a defeat for US President Donald Trump, who has himself conceded that his opponents bettered his party’s campaign.
We take a look at how the Democrats won Congress, and what they could do with that power.
uncertain
they → call → power
The Democratic Party flipped several seats in the Senate, including many that it hasn’t won in decades.
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it → flip → decades
Trump had won the southern US state by 14 percentage points in 2024, and had endorsed Ken Paxton, the state’s attorney general who has previously been indicted for fraud, and was once impeached by the state legislature.
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who → win → legislature
But Talarico trounced him, leading by more than 11 percentage points with most votes counted.
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votes → trounce → points
He is the first Democrat to win a statewide race in Texas in 32 years.
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He → win → years
If Talarico did something no Democrat had accomplished since 1994, Hamilton went further: He beat Republican Roger Marshall, also endorsed by Trump, in Kansas, where the Democrats last won a Senate seat in 1932.
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Democrats → do → 1932
Trump carried Iowa by 14 percentage points in 2014.
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Trump → carry → 2014
But Turek won this competitive Senate seat by 4 percentage points.
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Turek → win → points
- Annie Andrews, South Carolina: Another state that Trump won comfortably in 2024.
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Trump → win → 2024
This was a Senate seat that Trump ally and longtime senator Lindsey Graham held until his death earlier this year.
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Graham → hold → death
Graham’s sister Darlene was appointed to fill in his seat until the election on Tuesday, and was strongly backed by Trump.
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sister → appoint → Trump
It didn’t work.
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It → work → ?
Andrews won by at least 4 percentage points.
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Andrews → win → points
Cooper didn’t just turn a previously Republican seat Democrat; he delivered a thumping win, beating Republican Mike Whatley by almost 20 percentage points.
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he → turn → points
- Troy Jackson, Maine: Jackson turned over the previously Republican seat, defeating Susan Collins by almost 7 percentage points.
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Jackson → turn → points
- Sherrod Brown, Ohio: Brown won against Republican Jon Husted by almost 4 percentage points.
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Brown → win → points
El-Sayed is leading — and has claimed victory — against Republican Mike Rogers, in what was potentially the most high-octane race of these midterms.
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what → lead → midterms
If he wins, he becomes the first Muslim senator in the US.
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he → win → US
House of Representatives win
The Democrats have won the House of Representatives, according to The Associated Press, crossing the 218-seat mark needed for a majority in the 435-member chamber.
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Democrats → win → chamber
These wins also include several seats that were previously held by Trump’s Republican Party.
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that → include → Party
With the win in the House, announced by AP hours after their win in the Senate was declared, the Democrats now have control of both chambers of Congress.
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Democrats → announce → Congress
Democrats had promised to end the war on Iran, bring down the cost of living and hold the Trump administration accountable for alleged abuses of power, if they won Congress.
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they → promise → Congress
But following through on those promises may not be easy.
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following → follow → promises
What powers would a Democrat-controlled Congress have?
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Congress → control → powers
The House and the Senate help pass laws and approve government spending.
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House → help → spending
But neither chamber can act alone, and each chamber of Congress has powers the other does not.
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other → act → powers
For instance, the Senate is uniquely empowered to approve Trump’s nominations to top government posts.
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Senate → empower → posts
With a majority in the Senate, Democrats can block the president from appointing allies as ambassadors, cabinet members and federal judges, including on the Supreme Court.
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Democrats → block → Court
The party that holds the majority in the Senate also gets to control committees that can launch investigations, demand documents and summon witnesses to testify.
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that → hold → witnesses
Separately, if a president or top government official is successfully impeached in the House, the Senate is then tasked with overseeing a trial that could result in the defendant’s removal from office.
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that → impeach → office
Trump was impeached twice during his first term as president, in 2019 and 2021, but the Senate acquitted him in both cases.
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Senate → impeach → cases
Commanding a Senate majority will also give Democrats greater power over legislation.
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Commanding → command → legislation
Both chambers of Congress must pass a bill before a president can sign it into law.
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president → pass → law
There is a significant hurdle to the Democrats advancing their legislative agenda, though.
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Democrats → be → agenda
Even measures that have bipartisan support – like raising the minimum wage – would have to get past Trump’s veto.
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that → have → veto
Already, Trump has signalled he plans to use the power liberally, telling a podcast on Monday, “I’ll veto everything.”
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I → signal → everything
…and 57 more, not listed.
The Aporia
