Democrats sweep both chambers of US Congress as Trump suffers major midterm defeat

The Democratic Party has defeated President Donald Trump’s Republicans in the US midterm elections, taking control of both chambers of Congress.

After securing a majority in the Senate, the party also won control of the House of Representatives, marking a major shift in the balance of power in Congress following Republican losses across several states in Tuesday’s elections.

According to the latest report by the Associated Press (AP), Democrats have won at least seven Senate seats, unseating Republican candidates in Kansas, Iowa, Texas, Ohio, Maine, North Carolina and South Carolina. These victories secured the seats needed to gain a majority in the upper chamber, where at least 51 seats are required for control.

Democrats also made significant gains in the 435-seat House of Representatives. AP reported that party candidates won in several districts considered Republican strongholds. Republicans even lost seats in districts where Trump had secured victory margins of up to 18 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.

In Indiana’s 5th Congressional District, Democratic candidate JD Ford defeated three-term Republican Representative Victoria Spartz. Democrats also won three of Iowa’s four House seats, further highlighting the scale of their electoral gains.

The loss of control of both chambers of Congress marks a significant political setback for the Trump administration. It could make it harder for the president to advance his legislative agenda and policy initiatives over the next two years, as Democrats gain greater leverage to block his proposals. The party will also have new opportunities to conduct congressional investigations and strengthen oversight of the administration.

An AP voter survey found that concerns over rising living costs, the war with Iran and government corruption contributed to voter dissatisfaction. Following the Republican defeat, Trump congratulated the Democrats but rejected the idea that the election results represented a public verdict against his political standing.

Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said American voters had voted for change. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries described the results as the beginning of a new political chapter for the party.

With Democrats controlling both chambers of Congress, the remaining two years of Trump’s second term are set to bring a new political dynamic to Washington. Disagreements and negotiations between the two parties could intensify over the budget, immigration, foreign policy and various administration decisions.