Kumar Bahukhandi
The US Capitol in Washington, DC. Democrats won control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the 2026 midterm elections. (File photo)
Democrats win both the House and the Senate in the 2026 midterms, breaking Republican control of Washington and putting President Donald Trump’s agenda under new pressure.
Key Highlights
- Democrats won majorities in both chambers, with Senate victories in Republican strongholds including Texas and South Carolina.
- High prices and frustration over the Iran war weighed on Republicans. Trump acknowledged that the war contributed to the defeat but defended his decision to go ahead with it.
- The incoming Democratic Congress will have greater leverage over federal spending, administration oversight and Senate confirmations.
Washington: Democrats won control of both chambers of the US Congress in Tuesday’s midterm elections, ending unified Republican control in Washington and leaving President Donald Trump to contend with a divided government for the final two years of his term. The scale of the defeat became clear in Texas and South Carolina, where Democratic Senate candidates won in states Trump had carried comfortably two years earlier.
The Republican Map Gives Way
In Texas, Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton to become the state’s first Democratic senator-elect in 38 years. In South Carolina, Democrat Annie Andrews unseated Republican Senator Darline Graham. Democrats also made Senate gains in Ohio and Iowa, underscoring how far the swing extended beyond the usual battlegrounds.
A president’s party often loses ground in midterm elections. Losing both chambers in the same election is much rarer. The Associated Press counted only three previous instances since the Second World War, in 1946, 1994 and 2006.
Trump Acknowledges the Iran War’s Electoral Cost
The cost of living and the war with Iran converged on the campaign trail, where Democrats argued that the conflict was driving up petrol prices and household costs. Trump acknowledged in a Fox News interview that the war was one factor in the Republican losses. He stood by his decision in a separate interview with The Wall Street Journal.
“I did the right thing,” Trump told the Journal. “I would have done it again.”
The Next Fight Moves to Capitol Hill
When the new Congress convenes in January, Democrats will be able to set the legislative agenda in both chambers and lead committees that scrutinise the administration. Their House majority will give them leverage in federal spending negotiations, while their Senate majority will give them greater influence over Trump’s judicial and executive nominations. Democratic leaders are also preparing an early legislative push focused on the cost of petrol, groceries and healthcare.
Trump retains the veto and has already signalled his willingness to use it against Democratic bills. That sets up an early test over spending and affordability. Democrats will be under pressure to show what they can deliver on the prices that helped bring them to power, while Trump will have to decide where to bargain with the Congress voters have given him
