Democrats seize full control of Congress.
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Democrats → seize → Congress
And, which candidates made history last night
Good morning.
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candidates → make → history
You're reading the Up First newsletter.
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You → read → newsletter
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you → subscribe → day
Democrats have gained full control of Congress for the first time since 2023, flipping both the House and Senate with significant wins in deep red states.
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Democrats → gain → states
Abdul El-Sayed defeated Mike Rogers in Michigan, and Troy Jackson defeated Susan Collins in Maine, winning their states' closely watched Senate seats.
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Jackson → defeat → seats
In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, ending more than 30 years of Republican control, while Democratic state Rep. James Talarico won the U.S. Senate race.
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Talarico → defeat → race
In Kansas, Adam Hamilton became the first Democratic senator elected in nearly a century.
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Hamilton → become → century
A record number of candidates endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America were elected to the House, growing the organization's presence on Capitol Hill.
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number → endorse → Hill
Nine states also made history with their gubernatorial picks.
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states → make → picks
Take a look at how key demographics voted.
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demographics → take → look
All the signs were pointing in Democrats' direction heading into election night.
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signs → point → night
But nothing indicated quite this level of a romp.
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nothing → indicate → romp
President Trump wanted this election to be about him.
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election → want → him
It was and that hurt Republicans: Trump was historically unpopular.
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Trump → hurt → Republicans
People were frustrated with the economy and the war, and it hurt the GOP.
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it → frustrate → GOP
It turns out when you wage the kind of war that you said you wouldn't get into — that drags on, raises gas prices and piles on people who were already feeling the pinch, don't be surprised when you pay the price.
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you → turn → price
- Republicans tried to insulate themselves with redistricting, but it didn't work: Trump strongly encouraged conservative-led states to redistrict — but it backfired.
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it → try → states
There was always the possibility that weakening safe districts could make them more competitive and that happened.
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that → be → districts
- Latinos are a true swing group in America now: Trump only lost Latinos by 5 points in 2024.
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Trump → lose → 2024
In this election, they sided with Democrats by 27 points.
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they → side → points
In a real indictment of the Trump deportation policies, the voter poll found 59% overall said they disapproved of ICE.
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they → find → ICE
Democrats won in a lot of red states.
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Democrats → win → states
The party has needed to show it can win in red and rural areas.
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it → need → areas
They did that this time.
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They → do → that
But will that last, or is it a Trump-sized asterisk?
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it → last → ?
- The results of this year's elections don't mean the country is enamored with the Democratic Party: The party is still unpopular and fissures within their coalition will be laid bare over the next several months in the 2028 presidential primaries.
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fissures → mean → primaries
They'll have to be careful politically with how they approach leadership with the opportunity they've been handed.
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they → have → opportunity
- The polls got the direction right.
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direction → get → ?
If anything, they underestimated Democratic support: For a decade, polls have underestimated Republican support.
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polls → underestimate → support
It's important to understand that it's hard to poll when the country has been going through as significant a political realignment as it has been in the Trump era.
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it → understand → era
President Trump lashed out early on as results showed Democrats ahead in many key races, but later congratulated the Democrats and said more than once that he would respect the outcome of the elections.
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he → lash → elections
- 🎧 The president positioned himself as the central figure in the midterm elections, relying on his personality and appeal to supporters to counter low approval ratings and economic concerns.
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president → position → ratings
NPR's Franco Ordoñez tells Up First that this strategy made it more difficult for vulnerable candidates to distance themselves from him.
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candidates → tell → him
Ordoñez says he expects there to be a confrontational relationship between Trump and the Democrats, especially as they prepare to investigate him and his family.
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they → say → him
After the Democratic victory in the House, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries is poised to become the first Black lawmaker to be elected Speaker.
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Jeffries → poise → House
Last night said, "We understand as House Democrats that we need to deliver dramatic change."
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we → say → change
With a Democratic majority, they'll have the chance to exert more influence in the legislative branch.
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they → have → branch
The large Democratic margins in the House and Senate will serve as a check on the White House, NPR's Barbara Sprunt says.
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Sprunt → serve → House
A Democratic Senate majority will provide massive roadblocks for the president's confirmation of the future cabinet and judicial nominees.
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majority → provide → cabinet
…and 23 more, not listed.
The Aporia
