Democrats deliver a historic routing to Republicans in US midterms

For the first time in nearly 30 years, a Democrat will now represent South Carolina in the US Senate.

Democratic US Senator-elect James Talarico reacts after his victory in the US midterm elections during an Election Night rally in Austin, Texas, on November 3, 2026 [Mike Segar/ Reuters]

Voters in the United States have delivered a stunning rebuke of President Donald Trump, ushering in a new era of Democratic power that will transform not just the remainder of his presidency, but politics across the country for the foreseeable future.

Democrats re-took control of the US House of Representatives after Republicans wrestled the chamber away in 2022 amid post-pandemic inflation under former President Joe Biden.

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Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic House leader poised to become its first-ever Black speaker, heralded the results that, he claimed, proved “America is alive and well”.

“Today begins the great American comeback”, Jeffries told supporters in Washington, DC, on Tuesday. “From sea to shining sea, the American people have spoken – and made clear – we’ve had enough of the extremism, enough of the corruption. They want a Congress that’s going to deliver for the American people, and that is exactly what House Democrats will do.”

Democrats also routed Republicans in the US Senate, flipping at least six seats throughout conservative strongholds in Southern and Midwestern parts of the country to give the party full control of the US Congress.

Trump, who repeatedly told Republicans in the lead-up to the midterms to “pretend I’m on the ballot”, backtracked on those remarks as it became undeniable on Tuesday that his party had suffered grave losses.

“I wasn’t on the Ballot,” Trump posted to social media. “And if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!”

Democrat Adam Hamilton celebrates his US Senate victory at a midterm election night party at the Marriott Kansas City Overland Park Hotel in Overland Park, Kansas, on November 3, 2026 [AFP]

History across the country

Democratic gains cut across blue and red districts, giving the party full legislative control in Washington, DC.

While races were still being counted, the party appeared likely to garner north of 230 House seats, marking one of their largest majorities since former President Barack Obama’s first took office nearly 20 years ago.

“This isn’t a wave,” one Democratic official told Al Jazeera. “This is a tsunami.”

For the first time in 94 years, a Democrat will represent Kansas in the US Senate, after Adam Hamilton, a minister at the country’s largest Methodist congregation, scored a major upset over unpopular incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall.

In nearby Iowa, a state Trump won by 13 points just two years ago but has faced some of the harshest impacts from his unpopular tariff policy, Democrat Josh Turek claimed victory over former television journalist Ashley Hinson in the battleground Senate race.

Democrats also have new hope in the US South, which has, until now, proven elusive for the party amid strong Republican dominance.

Senator-elect Roy Cooper, a popular former two-term governor, delivered Democrats their first major win of the day in North Carolina, flipping a seat held by outgoing Republican Senator Thom Tillis.

Further south in Georgia, Senator Jon Ossoff cruised to re-election, while his fellow Democrat, Keisha Lance Bottoms, made history as the first Black woman elected governor.

“In sweeping and decisive victories, the American people have rebuked the depravity, corruption, and incompetence of the failed lame duck president, Donald J Trump,” Ossoff declared before scores of supporters in Atlanta.

“And if, at times these last two years, amidst the ceaseless onslaught of brutality and indecency, you doubted whether our republic would survive, let tonight’s results give you courage that the first light of dawn is on the horizon.”

Texas, a state that has seen rapid population growth in recent decades, allowed Democrats to pad their US Senate majority when James Talarico took victory over scandal-plagued Ken Paxton in a race that drew national attention for the level of spending and attacks.

But it is South Carolina, a deep-red state Trump won by 18 points two years ago, that delivered what might be the most unexpected, bruising loss for Republicans.

For the first time in nearly 30 years, a Democrat will now represent the state in the US Senate. Democratic Senate candidate Annie Andrews, a paediatrician, trounced Senator Darline Graham, who was appointed to fill her deceased brother Lindsey Graham’s seat.

“Nobody in Washington recruited me to run. Nobody handed me this seat. Nobody wrote my scripts,” Andrews told supporters in Charleston, South Carolina, as she spoke about her historic victory.

“I owe no one in Washington anything, but I owe the people of South Carolina everything. And that’s exactly who I’ll answer to.”

South Carolina Governor-elect Alan Wilson speaks during an Election Night rally after winning in the midterms, at the Moore Building, on November 3, 2026, in Columbia, South Carolina [Allison Joyce / Getty Images via AFP]

Economic frustrations

The same economic grievances that swept Republicans into power in Washington four years ago drove them out on Tuesday.

Polling from the Associated Press indicated voters were overwhelmingly frustrated, with the economy ranking as their top issue. About 4 in 10 said the economy was the most important issue facing the country, with most expressing concern about high petrol and grocery prices, which surged after the US launched a war on Iran in February,

Republicans, privately and publicly, argue this is what cost them the election. One party figure told Al Jazeera that the loss lies squarely on the shoulders of Trump’s defence secretary.

“[Pete Hegseth] sold the war to Trump, telling him it would be an easy win,” the source said. “He cost us this election.”

Iowa Republican candidate Zach Lahn hugs one of his children during a midterm election night watch party at the Hilton Des Moines Downtown after conceding to his opponent [Anna Moneymaker /Getty Images via AFP]

Where Republicans go from here

Trump was quick to blame his fellow Republicans – but not himself – for Tuesday’s historic losses.

“If Greg Abbott, the Governor of Texas, hadn’t become a RINO [Republican in Name Only] in the last six months of his Political Life, he wouldn’t have lost,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Tuesday. “He went back to his original formula, and it wasn’t pretty”.

Graham, in her concession speech after Andrews’d victory was announced, called for more introspection in her party, telling her supporters that “conservatives have more work to do”.

“I still believe in the promise of South Carolina and the greatness of America,” she said. “Tonight was not the result any of us wanted in this room or around the country, but we cannot exit the fight. This is a tough cycle, and all of us need to be involved as we chart a path forward.”

近30年来，南卡罗来纳州将首次迎来一位民主党籍的美国参议员。

2026年11月3日，美国民主党当选参议员詹姆斯·塔拉里科在德克萨斯州奥斯汀举行的选举之夜集会上，庆祝他在美国中期选举中获胜。[迈克·塞加尔/路透社]

美国选民对唐纳德·特朗普总统做出了令人震惊的否定，开启了民主党权力的新时代，这不仅将改变他剩余的总统任期，而且将在可预见的未来改变全国的政治格局。

在前总统乔·拜登执政期间，由于疫情后的通货膨胀，共和党在 2022 年夺回了美国众议院的控制权，而民主党则重新夺回了众议院的控制权。

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即将成为美国历史上首位黑人议长的民主党众议院领袖哈基姆·杰弗里斯对选举结果表示欢迎，他声称这证明“美国依然充满活力，欣欣向荣”。

“今天标志着美国伟大复兴的开始，”杰弗里斯周二在华盛顿特区对支持者们说。“从东海岸到西海岸，美国人民已经发声——而且明确表示——我们受够了极端主义，受够了腐败。他们想要一个能够为美国人民谋福利的国会，而这正是众议院民主党人将要做的。”

民主党人还在美国参议院击败了共和党人，在南部和中西部保守派的大本营中至少赢得了六个席位，从而使该党完全控制了美国国会。

在中期选举前夕，特朗普曾多次告诉共和党人“假装我的名字在选票上”，但随着周二共和党遭受重创的事实无可辩驳，他收回了这些言论。

“我没出现在选票上，”特朗普在社交媒体上发帖说。“如果我在的话，我们肯定会大获全胜！”

2026年11月3日，民主党人亚当·汉密尔顿在堪萨斯州奥弗兰帕克市的万豪堪萨斯城奥弗兰帕克酒店举行的中期选举之夜派对上庆祝他赢得美国参议院席位。[法新社]

全国历史

民主党的胜利横跨蓝区和红区，使该党完全掌控了华盛顿特区的立法机构。

虽然选举结果仍在统计中，但该党似乎很有可能获得超过 230 个众议院席位，这将是自前总统巴拉克·奥巴马近 20 年前首次就职以来，该党获得的最大多数席位之一。

一位民主党官员告诉半岛电视台：“这不是波浪，这是海啸。”

94 年来，堪萨斯州将首次迎来一位民主党籍的美国参议员。此前，该国最大的卫理公会教堂牧师亚当·汉密尔顿爆冷击败了不受欢迎的现任共和党参议员罗杰·马歇尔。

在邻近的爱荷华州，特朗普两年前以 13 个百分点的优势赢得了该州，但该州也受到了他不受欢迎的关税政策的一些最严重的影响。民主党人乔什·图雷克在激烈的参议院竞选中击败了前电视记者阿什利·欣森。

民主党人在美国南部也重燃希望，此前由于共和党的强大统治，该党一直难以攻克南部。

当选参议员罗伊·库珀是一位颇受欢迎的前两届州长，他在北卡罗来纳州为民主党赢得了当天的首个重大胜利，从即将卸任的共和党参议员汤姆·蒂利斯手中夺得了席位。

在佐治亚州南部，参议员乔恩·奥索夫轻松连任，而他的民主党同僚凯莎·兰斯·博顿斯则创造了历史，成为第一位当选州长的黑人女性。

“美国人民以压倒性和决定性的胜利，谴责了失败的跛脚鸭总统唐纳德·J·特朗普的堕落、腐败和无能，”奥索夫在亚特兰大向众多支持者宣布。

“如果在过去两年里，面对无休止的暴行和不雅行为，你曾怀疑过我们的共和国能否生存下去，那么今晚的选举结果将给你带来勇气，让你相信黎明的第一缕曙光已经出现在地平线上。”

德克萨斯州是近几十年人口快速增长的州，詹姆斯·塔拉里科击败了丑闻缠身的肯·帕克斯顿，这场选举因其高额的竞选支出和激烈的攻击而引起了全国的关注，也让民主党人得以扩大其在美国参议院的多数席位。

但正是南卡罗来纳州——两年前特朗普以 18 个百分点的优势赢得的深红州——给共和党带来了可能是最出乎意料、最惨痛的失败。

近30年来，该州首次迎来一位民主党籍参议员。民主党参议员候选人、儿科医生安妮·安德鲁斯击败了现任参议员达琳·格雷厄姆，后者被任命填补其已故哥哥林赛·格雷厄姆的空缺。

“华盛顿没有人招募我参选。没有人把这个席位拱手让给我。没有人为我写稿，”安德鲁斯在南卡罗来纳州查尔斯顿向支持者们讲述她历史性的胜利时说道。

“我不欠华盛顿的任何人任何东西，但我欠南卡罗来纳州人民一切。我只会对他们负责。”

2026年11月3日，南卡罗来纳州当选州长艾伦·威尔逊在赢得中期选举后的选举之夜集会上，于南卡罗来纳州哥伦比亚市的摩尔大厦发表讲话。[Allison Joyce / Getty Images via AFP]

经济挫折

四年前将共和党人推上华盛顿权力宝座的那些经济不满情绪，也在周二将他们赶下了台。

美联社的民调显示，选民普遍感到不满，经济问题成为他们最关心的问题。约有十分之四的受访者表示，经济是国家面临的最重要问题，其中大多数人对高昂的汽油和食品价格表示担忧，这些价格在美国2月份对伊朗发动战争后飙升。

共和党人私下和公开场合都认为，正是这一点导致他们输掉了选举。一位共和党人士告诉半岛电视台，败选的责任完全在于特朗普的国防部长。

消息人士称：“皮特·赫格塞斯向特朗普兜售了这场战争，告诉他这将是一场轻松的胜利。结果他让我们输掉了这场选举。”

在承认败选后，爱荷华州共和党候选人扎克·拉恩在得梅因市中心希尔顿酒店举行的中期选举之夜守夜派对上拥抱了他的一个孩子。[Anna Moneymaker /Getty Images via AFP]

共和党人接下来该何去何从

特朗普迅速将周二的历史性惨败归咎于他的共和党同僚，而不是他自己。

“如果德克萨斯州州长格雷格·阿博特在他政治生涯的最后六个月里没有变成一个名义上的共和党人（RINO），他就不会输掉选举，”特朗普周二在Truth Social上发帖说。“他又回到了他原来的套路，结果可想而知。”

在安德鲁斯胜选宣布后，格雷厄姆在败选演讲中呼吁她的党内进行更多反思，并告诉她的支持者“保守党还有更多工作要做”。

“我仍然相信南卡罗来纳州的希望和美国的伟大，”她说。“今晚的结果并非我们任何人，无论是在座的各位还是全国各地的人们所希望看到的，但我们不能就此放弃。这是一个艰难的时期，我们需要共同努力，规划未来的道路。”