Democrats win both chambers of Congress and break Republican hold on Texas

Democrats win both chambers of Congress and break Republican hold on Texas

Democrats have won the US House of Representatives and Senate, taking both the governorship and a Senate seat in Texas as Republican losses spread across the South and Midwest. In Michigan, where Democrats were defending the governor’s office and an open Senate seat, neither statewide result could be confirmed at publication. The national outcome was already clear: President Donald Trump will face Democratic majorities in both chambers from January.

Texas elects its first Latina governor
Democratic state representative Gina Hinojosa defeated Governor Greg Abbott, ending his bid for a fourth term and becoming the first Latina elected governor of Texas. Abbott called Hinojosa to congratulate her after reviewing returns from across the state. In the Senate race, James Talarico defeated Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, giving Democrats their first US Senate victory in the state since 1988.

Michigan’s races carry different stakes
In Michigan, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, a physician and former public health official, faced former Republican congressman Mike Rogers for the Senate seat vacated by Democrat Gary Peters. A victory for El-Sayed would preserve a seat his party already held. The same distinction applies to the governor’s race, where Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson faced Republican congressman John James in the contest to succeed term-limited Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Senate gains extend from the Carolinas to Kansas
In South Carolina, Annie Andrews won a Republican-held Senate seat, while former governor Roy Cooper captured another for Democrats in North Carolina. In Kansas, Adam Hamilton defeated Senator Roger Marshall to become the first Democrat elected to the US Senate from the state since 1932. Democrats also gained Senate seats in Ohio and Iowa. In Georgia, Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor of a US state.

The economy and the war in Iran were linked for voters who had seen fuel prices rise since the conflict began in February. Exit polling found that half of voters nationwide regarded the midterms as an opportunity to register their disapproval of Trump. The result gives Democrats the power to decide which spending bills reach his desk, while the Senate majority gives them a say over his judicial and cabinet appointments for the remainder of his term.

Newshub Editorial in North America – 4 November 2026