Democrats usher in new era with resounding sweep of the House and the Senate

Democrats swept both chambers of Congress in Washington, setting up divided government for President Donald Trump’s final two years in the White House. They plan a 100-day agenda focused on lowering living costs and reversing cuts to health care programs, alongside investigations and oversight of the Trump administration. Trump said he could work with Democrats but warned of gridlock and threatened to veto their agenda. The incoming Congress will include several historic firsts, including the first Native American female senator and the first openly gay male senator.

Democrats hold at least 54 of the Senate’s 100 seats, while their House majority is well above the 218 seats needed for control.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries could become the first Black speaker of the House when the new Congress begins on Jan. 3, 2027.

Democrats say their initial agenda includes lowering gas and grocery costs and reversing cuts to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid.

House Speaker Mike Johnson will not seek reelection as House Republican leader, according to two people familiar with his plans.

The article identifies Julia Stratton, Peggy Flanagan, Chris Pappas and Abdul El-Sayed as incoming senators who would mark historic firsts.

Published Nov 5, 2026 12:38 am KST

The U.S. Capitol building in Washington, DC, Wednesday. Reuters-Yonhap

WASHINGTON — Democrats are riding their sweep of Congress into a new era, eager to meet voter demands for change with plans to tackle high costs of living and confront President Donald Trump's final years in the White House.

In a nationwide romp, Democrats ousted Republicans from coast to coast, with many surprising places in between, as voters rejected the president’s party for the promise of something different for the country. Their majorities will be padded by wide margins in both the House and the Senate.

The results set up a divided government, with Congress poised to reassert itself as a coequal branch ready to challenge Trump and reverse course after two years of unified GOP control.

“We hear you,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who would make history as the first Black speaker of the House if his colleagues elect him to the job when the new Congress begins on Jan. 3, 2027.

“We're going to work hard to deliver on the dramatic change that you deserve,” he said.

The tally was decisive, at times bewildering, for the staggering scope of Democratic gains and the depth of Republican losses. The swelling margins underlined a deep sense of voter anger and concern over the economy and the state of democracy.

All told, the results present a fundamental reshaping of power in Washington, with new opportunities and challenges for governing.

Trump struck a conciliatory tone, suggesting he could work with the Democrats, but he also warned of gridlock ahead as he threatened to use the power of the presidential veto to strike down their agenda.

"I don't want to be just sitting there for two years vetoing everything," he told Politico.

House Speaker Mike Johnson will not seek reelection as House Republican leader following the Democrats' win, according to two people familiar with his plans who insisted on anonymity to disclose them.

Democrats vow a 100-day agenda and investigations of Trump

House Democrats are promising a 100-day agenda starting with efforts to lower the costs of gas, groceries and other goods, as well as bills to reverse cuts to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid healthcare programs. They're also ready to launch a robust oversight agenda to, as Jeffries says, “hold the crooks accountable.”

Impeachment — of the president or his Cabinet members — is an option.

The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Robert Garcia of California, issued a one-sentence warning: “Lawyer up.”

Sen. Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, issued his own one-word missive: "Subpoenas."

Democrats will be under pressure to quickly show that they have solutions for the high gas and grocery prices, the war in Iran and concerns about the direction of the country.

For Jeffries and his leadership team, it will be their first time in the majority, managing a class of newcomers including a handful of far-left democratic socialists.

With the majority in the 435-member House well past the 218 needed and the Senate Democrats holding at least 54 of 100 seats in that chamber, Jeffries and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer will have room to maneuver.

“Five words for the American people: Relief is on the way,” the New York senator said.

A lame-duck session and leadership elections await Republicans

For Republicans, their shriveled numbers will create a reckoning of their own, as they try to figure out what went so uniformly wrong.

Johnson had quipped he may return to his Louisiana hometown of Shreveport to start a lawn care company if the Republicans lost power. Rivals seek to replace him.

Republicans may be anxious during the post-election lame-duck sprint to accomplish as much as possible in their remaining weeks in power. But hopes for another GOP-only priority package like their big tax breaks and spending cuts bill seem dim as defeated lawmakers prepare to go home at the end of the year.

Conservatives have also eyed the opportunity for Trump to nominate another justice to the Supreme Court while Senate Republicans still hold a majority. However, no current justice has announced any intent to step aside.

And the government could be headed toward a federal shutdown next month if Congress fails to pass a funding bill to keep operations running.

In the weeks ahead, the parties will hold internal leadership elections as members-elect arrive for freshman orientation at the Capitol.

The House will choose its speaker as one of the first votes when the new Congress convenes.

Trailblazers are coming to Congress

Rarely has the president’s party held on to power during midterm elections, but the Democratic sweep carried echoes of Trump’s first term, when Republicans faced a voter revolt that sent Democrats to the House majority, and the Barack Obama era, when the Republican tea party swept to power.

This new Congress will also mark firsts and welcome trailblazers.

With the election of Democrat Julia Stratton of Illinois, the Senate will for the first time have three Black women in office.

Democrat Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota will be the first Native American female senator, Chris Pappas of New Hampshire will become the first openly gay male U.S. senator and Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan will be the first Muslim to serve in the U.S. Senate.

民主党横扫华盛顿国会两院，为唐纳德·特朗普总统在白宫的最后两年营造了分裂的政府局面。他们计划推出一项为期100天的议程，重点在于降低生活成本、扭转医疗保健项目的削减，以及对特朗普政府展开调查和监督。特朗普表示他可以与民主党合作，但警告称可能会陷入僵局，并威胁要否决他们的议程。新一届国会将迎来多项历史性突破，包括首位美洲原住民女性参议员和首位公开同性恋身份的男性参议员。

民主党在参议院 100 个席位中至少拥有 54 个席位，而在众议院，民主党的多数席位远远超过控制众议院所需的 218 个席位。

众议院民主党领袖哈基姆·杰弗里斯有望在2027年1月3日新一届国会开幕时成为众议院首位黑人议长。

民主党人表示，他们的初步议程包括降低汽油和食品杂货价格，以及扭转对《平价医疗法案》和医疗补助计划的削减。

据两位知情人士透露，众议院议长迈克·约翰逊将不会寻求连任众议院共和党领袖。

文章指出，朱莉娅·斯特拉顿、佩吉·弗拉纳根、克里斯·帕帕斯和阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德等即将上任的参议员将创造历史性的第一。

发布于2026年11月5日凌晨12:38（韩国标准时间）

周三，位于华盛顿特区的美国国会大厦。（路透社-韩联社）

华盛顿——民主党人凭借横扫国会的战绩，正迈入一个新时代，他们渴望满足选民对变革的诉求，并制定计划应对高昂的生活成本，以及应对唐纳德·特朗普总统在白宫的最后几年。

民主党在全国范围内大获全胜，从东海岸到西海岸，甚至在许多令人意想不到的地方都击败了共和党。选民们拒绝了总统所在的政党，转而支持民主党为国家带来新的希望。民主党在众议院和参议院都以较大优势巩固了其多数席位。

选举结果导致政府分裂，国会准备重新确立其作为平等分支机构的地位，挑战特朗普，并在共和党统一控制两年后扭转局势。

“我们听到了你们的声音，”纽约州众议院民主党领袖哈基姆·杰弗里斯说道。如果他的同事们在2027年1月3日新一届国会开始时选举他担任众议院议长，他将成为历史上第一位黑人众议院议长。

他说：“我们将努力为你们带来你们应得的巨大改变。”

计票结果意义重大，有时甚至令人费解，因为民主党取得了惊人的胜利，而共和党则遭受了沉重的损失。不断扩大的差距凸显了选民对经济和民主现状的深切愤怒和担忧。

总而言之，选举结果从根本上重塑了华盛顿的权力格局，为政府治理带来了新的机遇和挑战。

特朗普的语气较为缓和，暗示他可以与民主党人合作，但他也警告说，未来可能会陷入僵局，并威胁要动用总统否决权来否决他们的议程。

“我不想就这么坐在那里两年，否决一切，”他告诉 Politico。

据两位熟悉众议院议长迈克·约翰逊计划的人士透露，民主党获胜后，约翰逊将不会寻求连任众议院共和党领袖。这两位人士坚持匿名透露此事。

民主党人誓言将在100天内启动一项议程，并对特朗普展开调查。

众议院民主党人承诺推出一项为期100天的议程，首先将致力于降低汽油、食品杂货和其他商品的价格，并提出法案以扭转对《平价医疗法案》和医疗补助计划的削减。他们还准备启动一项强有力的监督议程，正如杰弗里斯所说，“追究那些不法分子的责任”。

弹劾总统或其内阁成员是一种选项。

众议院监督委员会首席民主党议员、来自加利福尼亚州的罗伯特·加西亚发出了一句警告：“去找律师吧。”

参议院财政委员会首席民主党议员罗恩·怀登参议员发表了一份只有一个字的声明：“传票”。

民主党人将面临压力，需要尽快表明他们有办法解决高昂的汽油和食品价格、伊朗战争以及对国家发展方向的担忧。

对于杰弗里斯和他的领导团队来说，这将是他们第一次在多数党中执政，管理一群新成员，其中包括少数极左的民主社会主义者。

由于众议院435名议员中的多数席位远远超过所需的218席，而参议院民主党人在该院100个席位中至少拥有54席，杰弗里斯和参议院民主党领袖查克·舒默将有回旋余地。

“我想对美国人民说五个字：救济即将到来。”这位纽约州参议员说道。

共和党即将迎来跛脚鸭会期和领导层选举。

对于共和党人来说，他们不断萎缩的人数将会引发一场自我反思，因为他们将努力弄清楚究竟是什么导致了如此普遍的错误。

约翰逊曾戏言，如果共和党失去政权，他可能会回到路易斯安那州的家乡什里夫波特，开一家草坪护理公司。他的竞争对手正试图取代他。

共和党人或许急于在选举后的跛脚鸭时期尽可能多地完成任务，以度过剩余的执政期。但随着落败的议员们准备在年底卸任，人们对共和党推出类似大规模减税和削减开支法案那样的专属优先方案的希望似乎渺茫。

保守派人士也一直觊觎特朗普在参议院共和党仍占多数席位的情况下提名另一位最高法院大法官的机会。然而，目前还没有任何一位大法官宣布有意辞职。

如果国会下个月未能通过一项拨款法案以维持政府运转，那么联邦政府可能会面临停摆。

在接下来的几周里，各党派将举行内部领导层选举，届时当选成员将抵达国会大厦参加新成员入职培训。

新一届国会召开时，众议院将首先投票选举议长。

开拓者们即将进入国会

总统所在的政党很少能在中期选举中保住权力，但民主党的横扫让人想起特朗普的第一任期，当时共和党人面临选民的反抗，导致民主党人获得了众议院多数席位；也让人想起巴拉克·奥巴马时代，当时共和党的茶党席卷政坛。

新一届国会也将创造诸多历史第一，并迎来开拓者。

随着伊利诺伊州民主党人朱莉娅·斯特拉顿当选，参议院将首次有三位黑人女性担任要职。

明尼苏达州民主党人佩吉·弗拉纳根将成为第一位美洲原住民女参议员，新罕布什尔州的克里斯·帕帕斯将成为第一位公开同性恋身份的美国参议员，密歇根州的阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德将成为第一位在美国参议院任职的穆斯林。