Democrats are projected to take control of both chambers of the United States Congress following significant victories in the midterm elections, with the party flipping several Republican-held seats across the country.
US media projections indicate that Democrats have secured at least eight Republican seats in the House of Representatives, with major gains recorded in states including Kentucky, New Jersey and North Carolina.
The party also made substantial gains in the Senate, with victories in key contests helping it secure a majority in the chamber.
The results represent a major setback for President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, amid voter dissatisfaction over the economy and the administration’s decision to launch a war against Iran, which reportedly contributed to a sharp increase in fuel prices.
Trump said he would accept the election results but attributed Republican losses to his absence from the ballot.
Democrats consolidated their Senate gains with an upset victory in Iowa, adding to a series of successes in traditionally Republican states, including Kansas, Texas and South Carolina.
In Texas, where Democrats have not won a statewide office in more than 30 years, James Talarico defeated Republican candidate Ken Paxton, who had received Trump’s backing.
In South Carolina, Democrat Annie Andrews defeated Republican Darline Graham, who had been selected by Trump to replace her brother, Lindsey Graham, following his death earlier this year.
Democrat Sherrod Brown also secured a Senate seat in Ohio, a position previously held by Vice-President JD Vance before he assumed office.
The victories reflected the scale of Democratic gains in states where Trump had secured substantial margins in the previous presidential election. He won South Carolina by 18 percentage points and Kansas by 16 percentage points two years ago.
Meanwhile, the election outcome could have implications for Trump’s trade policies, particularly his tariffs on imported goods.
Although Democrats may face difficulties reversing the tariffs through legislation because of the possibility of a presidential veto, their projected control of both chambers could provide opportunities to challenge aspects of the administration’s trade agenda.
Trade law experts and congressional aides said Democrats could seek to pass legislation reversing some tariffs, including those imposed on Canadian goods, or repeal outdated legal provisions used to support the measures.
One provision under consideration is Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which had reportedly never been used before.
Democrats are also expected to use their control of congressional committee agendas to intensify scrutiny of Trump’s trade policies through oversight hearings and investigations.
Potential areas of inquiry include the criteria used to grant tariff exemptions and the details of investment pledges worth hundreds of billions of dollars contained in trade agreements with other countries.
In another historic development, former Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton has been elected to the US Senate, becoming the second Black woman to represent Illinois in the chamber.
Her victory means three Black women will serve in the Senate simultaneously for the first time in American history. She is also the sixth Black woman ever elected to the chamber.
Addressing supporters after her victory, Stratton pledged to prioritise the needs of ordinary Americans.
“I won’t confuse being elected with being entitled to this job. I’m headed to Washington to do the people’s work,” she said.
She linked the economic difficulties facing working families to what she described as dysfunction in Washington, arguing that ordinary citizens were bearing the consequences of policies that benefited wealthy and politically connected interests.
“The corruption in Washington is directly connected to the struggles people face around their kitchen tables,” she added.
In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa is also projected by US media to have defeated Republican Governor Greg Abbott, potentially ending 32 years of Republican control of the governor’s office.
Hinojosa, a Texas state representative, would become the state’s first Democratic governor since Ann Richards left office in 1995.
