Democrats Seize Senate And House
Midterm results show a historic shift, with South Carolina and Kansas flipping to blue and Texas moving nine points toward the Democrats.
By Ethan Cooper ·
The Democrats have taken control of the United States Senate and are projected to win the House of Representatives.
CBS News, the BBC’s partner, called the House race just after 03:00 GMT on Wednesday. The party’s gains in the upper chamber exceeded expectations, securing seats in states that had not returned a Democratic senator in decades. Kansas, which has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1932, is now blue. South Carolina, a deep red state that last elected a Democratic senator in 1998, also flipped. Other states turning blue include Texas, Iowa, Ohio, and Maine. One seat in Alaska remains undecided, while Mississippi is described as being on a knife edge.
The shift was visible in the vote share data. Texas moved nine points toward the Democrats compared to the 2024 Senate race. In the House, Democrats secured key victories in Florida’s 14th and 25th districts. These two seats were redistricted to favor Republicans, moving from majorities of Kamala Harris voters in 2024 to majorities of Donald Trump supporters. The Democratic hold in these districts undermines the Republican redistricting effort. Florida’s 22nd district, also redrawn to benefit Republicans, was won by a Democrat.
Hispanic voters played a central role in the Florida Senate race. Polling data indicates this group supported Democratic candidate Angie Nixon by 55% to 44% against Republican Ashley Moody. This represents a reversal from 2024, when an estimated 55% of Hispanic voters backed Donald Trump. When asked about their primary concerns, voters across the country identified the economy as the top issue, followed by the state of democracy. More than two-thirds of respondents in the poll said Trump’s policies had worsened economic conditions.
The results mark a sharp departure from pre-election polls. South Carolina was previously seen as leaning Republican. The Democratic sweep includes states that were considered safe for the opposing party. The redistricting in Florida was designed to create a Republican advantage, but the vote results show the Democratic candidates maintained their ground in the altered districts.
The next steps involve confirming the final count in the remaining toss-up races. The outcome in Alaska will determine if the Democratic Senate majority holds or shifts. The House leadership transition will occur once the final districts are certified. The party now holds both chambers of Congress heading into the second half of the term.
