Democrats near Congress sweep as voters rebuke Trump in US midterms

Democrats scored major victories across swing states and Republican strongholds in the US midterms. The results exposed voter discontent over Trump, rising prices and weakened presidential checks.

In Short

• Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor in American history
• Hinojosa became Texas's first Latina governor after defeating Greg Abbott
• Young voters shifted sharply, with seven in ten backing Democratic candidates

US voters handed major defeats to President Donald Trump's Republican Party in the midterm elections, with Democrats securing key victories across swing states and traditional Republican strongholds, Press Trust of India reported.

The results in New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Georgia and South Carolina put Democrats close to winning control of both chambers of Congress. Trump's push to redraw congressional districts also appeared to have hurt Republicans in several races.

In Georgia, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor in US history. Texas elected Democrat Gina Hinojosa as its first Latina governor.

Voters were seeking change, according to the AP Voter Poll cited by PTI. About three-quarters said they were either "angry" or "dissatisfied" with the direction of the country.

Among voters who considered Trump while casting their ballots, about twice as many said they wanted to oppose him as those who wanted to support him. About six in 10 voters said higher-than-usual prices were "more because of Trump's policies".

Trump's electoral coalition also showed signs of weakening. Young and Hispanic voters, who had moved towards him during the 2024 presidential election, shifted away from Republicans in the midterms.

The results gave Democrats momentum in their attempt to win majorities in the House and Senate, which would limit Trump's power after a Republican-controlled Congress placed few checks on his administration.

The election was widely seen as a rejection of Trump, whose approval ratings have fallen amid rising costs and an unpopular war with Iran. The president had demanded loyalty across the Republican Party and urged voters to treat the midterms as if he were on the ballot.

About six in 10 voters disapproved of Trump's performance, while nearly 70 per cent wanted Congress to provide more checks and balances on the presidency, according to the AP Voter Poll cited by PTI. About six in 10 also said Trump gave greater priority to his personal interests than to those of the country.

Trump had expected his base of white working-class voters, along with the increased support he received from young people and voters of colour in 2024, to help Republican candidates. The results did not support that calculation.

Voters under 30 were almost evenly divided between Trump and Vice-President Kamala Harris in 2024. In the midterms, however, about seven in 10 voters in that age group said they supported the Democratic House candidate in their area.

Only about one-third of Hispanic voters backed Republican candidates in their local House races, compared with roughly four in 10 who voted for Trump two years earlier. About six in 10 Hispanic voters supported Democratic House candidates, while seven in 10 said Trump's policies had worsened US economic conditions.

These changes are expected to influence the 2028 presidential contest, which begins informally after the midterms.

Democrats were close to achieving the rare feat of taking control of both the House and Senate in the same midterm election. Since the Second World War, that has happened only three times — in 1946, 1994 and 2006.

Democrats won Senate and governor's races in Georgia, Ohio and Texas. Trump had carried Ohio and Texas by 11 and 14 percentage points, respectively, in 2024.

Former North Carolina governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, won a Senate seat. Senator Jon Ossoff was comfortably re-elected in Georgia, while Bottoms won the state's governor's race. New Hampshire Democrat Chris Pappas won his Senate election and will become the chamber's only openly gay member.

In Ohio, former senator Sherrod Brown took a Republican-held Senate seat, while former state health official Amy Acton defeated Trump ally Vivek Ramaswamy in the governor's race.

In Kansas, voters chose Democrat Adam Hamilton, a first-time candidate who leads the country's largest United Methodist church, over incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall.

In Texas, 37-year-old state lawmaker James Talarico was elected to the Senate, while Hinojosa defeated three-term Governor Greg Abbott.

One of Trump's most significant defeats came in South Carolina, where Democrat Annie Andrews, a paediatrician contesting her first election, defeated Darline Graham. Trump had backed Graham, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, as his preferred successor.

Republicans entered the election with a 53-47 advantage in the Senate. Democrats needed to win states carried by Trump in 2024 to take control. Strategists in both parties also believed Democrats were on course for a House majority, where Republicans had started the current Congress with a narrow 220-215 margin.

Democrats targeted more than 60 House districts, including several that Trump had won by double-digit margins.

Despite the victories, voter opinion of the Democratic Party remained weak. About half of voters had a "very" or "somewhat" unfavourable view of the party, while about six in 10 viewed the Republican Party negatively, according to the AP Voter Poll.

The results also renewed debate between the Democratic Party's progressive and moderate sections over its political direction. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Maryland Governor Wes Moore, both considered possible presidential candidates in 2028, won re-election.

Florida Democrat Angie Nixon, the only self-described democratic socialist contesting a Senate race, was defeated despite performing better than expected.

In Michigan, progressive groups were looking to Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed's contest against Republican Mike Rogers. El-Sayed, the most prominent progressive candidate in the election, does not identify as a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and was not endorsed by the organisation.

His campaign followed the election of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani as New York mayor. A victory for El-Sayed would carry broader significance because Michigan is a closely contested state that helped elect Trump twice.

Trump's campaign to redraw congressional boundaries also produced mixed results for Republicans. He had pushed Republican-controlled Texas to change its districts, prompting California Governor Gavin Newsom to persuade voters in his state to respond similarly. Other Democratic- and Republican-led states followed.

During the process, the US Supreme Court weakened part of the Voting Rights Act, allowing several southern states to redraw districts that had Black majorities or near-majorities.

On paper, the redistricting exercise suggested a net gain of nine seats for Republicans. However, it also spread conservative voters across more districts, creating difficulties for Republican candidates in Florida and potentially Texas.

The Republican strategy in those states depended partly on support from Latino and other non-white voters who had backed Trump in 2024. Early results indicated that this support had not continued at the expected level.

In Florida, Democratic Representative Jared Moskowitz won the 25th District, first-time candidate Pia Dandiya won the 22nd District, and Representative Kathy Castor was re-elected in the 14th District. Republicans had redrawn all three districts in the spring in an effort to secure victories.

Overall, the midterm results showed voters moving away from Trump and the Republican Party over economic concerns and dissatisfaction with the country's direction. Democratic gains across several states left the party close to controlling Congress, while shifts among young and Hispanic voters and unexpected outcomes in redrawn districts added to Republican losses.

With PTI Inputs

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