Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the US midterm elections, according to NBC News, which projected the outcome. The result is widely seen as a rejection of President Donald Trump, and DW reports that voters cited living costs, tariffs and the Iran war, which raised fuel prices.
According to DW, Democrats are set to hold at least 237 seats to 139 in the House and a 54 to 44 advantage in the Senate when the new Congress convenes in January. DW also reports that Democrats flipped seven highly competitive Senate seats.
The Senate count is disputed. Dawn, the Pakistani newspaper, describes a six-seat Democratic gain, with Kansas and Iowa as the fifth and sixth Republican-held seats to fall. DW’s figure is seven.
Dawn reports that Democrat Adam Hamilton defeated Republican incumbent Roger Marshall in Kansas, the first Democrat elected to the Senate from the state since 1932. Dawn also reports that Democrat James Talarico won a Texas Senate seat over Ken Paxton, and that Gina Hinojosa unseated Republican governor Greg Abbott.
New York Times data analyzed by DW show a 13-point Democratic margin in the House popular vote, the largest since 1976.
Before election day, Trump’s approval was around 38%, according to DW. Dawn reports that Trump said he was willing to accept the results and work with Democrats, but that he would use his veto to block legislation.
Hakeem Jeffries could become the first Black speaker of the House when the new Congress convenes, if he is elected by his colleagues, according to the reporting.
Democrats plan a 100-day agenda focused on fuel, groceries and healthcare, and expanded oversight of Trump, DW reports. Jeffries said impeachment is not a current focus.
The final totals are not yet confirmed. Some races were too close to call or still uncounted at the time of reporting. Dawn’s California governor figures, which show Becerra with a two-to-one lead, are partial, with about half of ballots counted. No independent official certification of the results was included in the sources. Dawn’s article was also cut off mid-sentence, so its closing details are incomplete.
The key House and Senate projections rest mainly on DW and Dawn, and NBC News material was limited to a headline and a short excerpt, with no details beyond the projection.
Sources
This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.