For the first time in nearly three decades, voters in South Carolina have selected a Democratic candidate to represent them in the United States Senate. Pediatrician Annie Andrews (D) defeated Darline Graham (R) , the sister of longtime Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), who filled his vacant seat earlier this year when he unexpectedly passed away. Unlike her brother…
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Democrats seized control of both chambers of Congress on Tuesday, dealing a stunning political setback to President Donald Trump as voter frustration over rising costs and his administration’s policies propelled the party back into power on Capitol Hill.
The Democratic sweep upended the balance of power in Washington, threatening to derail Trump’s legislative agenda and subject his administration to aggressive congressional oversight during the final two years of his presidency.
Democrats were projected to secure at least 245 House seats, surpassing the 218 needed for a majority, according to an MS NOW estimate. And in a feat that looked difficult at the beginning of the cycle, they flipped enough Republican-held Senate seats to reach the 51 seats needed for outright control of the chamber, according to the Associated Press. Many of those seats were in red territory.
The results marked a striking turnaround for Democrats, who entered the midterms facing questions about their leadership, political identity and ability to reconnect with voters after their 2024 losses.
The results marked a striking turnaround for Democrats, who entered the midterms facing questions about their leadership, political identity and ability to reconnect with voters after their 2024 losses.
They also signal a major shift in the balance of power in Washington for the final two years of the Trump presidency. With both chambers under Democratic control, Trump faces the prospect of congressional investigations, contentious spending negotiations and significant obstacles to advancing his remaining legislative priorities.
Economic concerns dominated the campaign, with Democrats capitalizing on dissatisfaction over grocery prices, health-care costs and Trump’s handling of the economy. Republicans struggled to convince voters that the president’s policies were improving their financial
A senator who was briefed on President Donald Trump’s plans to launch intense strikes on Iran after the midterm elections has warned that the attacks are slated to be so horrific that they will lead to the “destruction” of the U.S.’s “commitment to the rule of law.” At an event hosted by the Middle East Institute on Wednesday, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut), a member of the Senate Foreign…
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Texas Republicans chose Ken Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn this year despite Cornyn’s warning that Paxton could put the seat at risk. Now they have lost it.
Democratic state Rep. James Talarico defeated Paxton, the impeached and acquitted state attorney general. He is the first Democrat to win statewide in Texas since 1994 and the first to win a Senate race there since Lloyd Bentsen in 1988.
The race was the most expensive of the midterms, with more than $500 million spent overall, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact.
Paxton easily won the May runoff with a late assist from President Donald Trump, but it quickly became clear he would need significant help to hold the seat.
After the 2020 election, Paxton led a failed lawsuit asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn former President Joe Biden’s victories in the battleground states of Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. In 2023, the Republican-led Texas House impeached him over allegations, among others, that he “misused public resources.” The state Senate acquitted him.
Democrats’ hopes of turning Texas blue had gone unfulfilled for years, and the state had moved further from them since the 2018 midterms and the 2020 presidential election. But concerns about Paxton in both parties helped Democrats end their long losing streak. So did a midterm electorate looking to rebuke Trump.
Talarico capitalized. He vastly outraised Paxton, according to federal campaign finance records, even as Trump and his allies worked to keep Texas red.
That Texas was competitive at all showed how difficult the midterms had become for Republicans midway through Trump’s second term. When the cycle began, Democrats faced a daunting Senate map: Their path to
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and other Republicans are including Christian nationalist themes in their messaging and campaign rhetoric in the final days before the midterm elections. This past weekend, Johnson appeared on “The Week on Capitol Hill,” a right-wing Christian program hosted by Tony Perkins. Perkins asked Johnson what advice he’d give to conservatives “who are…
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