The U.S. Capitol is seen behind a light pole, on Capitol Hill on June 3, 2026.
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Cliff Owen/AP
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Democrats have cemented control of both chambers of Congress, according to an NPR analysis based on a tally of race calls by The Associated Press.
The twin victories in the House and Senate return the Democratic Party to full control of Congress for the first time since 2023 and deepen the level of expected friction between President Trump and congressional Democrats in a new era of divided government. After a largely unrestrained start to his second term, Trump’s final two years in the White House are now certain to be hampered by congressional investigations in two chambers and legislators hostile to his agenda.
The midterm campaign was defined by Americans’ frustrations with the high cost of living and perceived public corruption. Those concerns were at the heart of Democratic campaign messaging, including in the seven Senate races that flipped from Republican control: North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Kansas, Iowa and Maine. Democrats also easily held onto a Senate seat in Georgia, despite its swing-state status.
In the House, Democrats secured a number of flips in key races, including at least three Florida districts that the state’s Republican legislature redrew in an effort to stymie Democratic candidates. Democratic candidates also managed to oust four Republican incumbents in swing districts across Pennsylvania, all of that state’s competitive races.
“From sea to shining sea, the American people have spoken and made clear they’ve had enough of the extremism, enough of the corruption,” said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the New York Democrat who is poised to become the first Black person elected as speaker of the House. “They want a Congress that’s going to deliver for the American people, and that is exactly what House Democrats will do as soon as we get into office in January.”
Now, Washington enters a new political moment. Come January, when the new Congress is sworn in, President Trump is certain to face an onslaught of investigations and congressional oversight. Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., expected to become chair of the House Oversight committee, did not mince words in the statement he posted to X: “LAWYER UP.”
Still, voters hoping to see swift policy change could be disappointed. Trump retains his veto power, meaning legislation passed by Congress will almost certainly need his support to become law. That means Democrats’ affordability-focused agenda may ultimately become a messaging tool for the 2028 election season, rather than a near-term policy intervention in Americans’ everyday lives.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks on election night from the AC Hotel Washington DC Capitol Hill Navy Yard.
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Alex Wong/Getty Images
In an interview with the Pod Force One podcast that was published Monday, Trump addressed the prospect of losing unified Republican control in Washington, saying he would block Democrats’ legislation if they take control of Congress.
“I’ll become Mr. Veto,” Trump said, adding, “and then at some point we’ll probably make deals.”
Democrats will have to work with Republicans on some must-pass legislation, including the 12 annual appropriations bills needed to fund the government.
Still, the party’s control of the Senate will halt the steady confirmation of Trump-nominated judges through the body. It also means that any Cabinet nominees will need the support of at least a handful of Democrats to take the posts in a permanent capacity.
When it comes to investigations, Democrats have signaled an ambitious agenda, with potential inquiries into everything from the independence of agencies such as the Justice Department and Homeland Security, to the business interests of the president and his family.
A remarkable turnaround
The Senate win marked a long-fought victory for Democrats, and an electoral disaster for Republicans, who began the year with little expectation that their 53–47 majority was at risk. But with voters frustrated about the cost of living, the GOP was forced to compete in several states that Trump won by double digits in 2024.
By early Wednesday morning, House Democrats had secured wins in seats that long seemed to be surefire Republican districts. In Kentucky, Democrats picked up a Lexington-area district that President Trump won with 57% of the vote in 2024.
Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala., will also be returning to Congress. His district in Alabama’s Black Belt was redrawn to heavily favor Republicans after the Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority dismantled key provisions of the Voting Rights Act.
In the closing weeks of the election, President Trump took to the campaign trail and implored Republican voters to pretend he was on the ballot. But at a moment when Trump’s approval ratings are hovering at historic lows, below 40%, the argument was not enough to save the GOP majority.
“From the first day of this election, we knew that to keep the House and sustain our majority, we would have to defy more than a century of midterm history,” Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Tuesday night. “And it looks like history will be kept tonight.”
Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks alongside President Trump during a campaign rally at Five Flags Center on Nov. 1, 2026 in Dubuque, Iowa.
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Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Losing the Senate majority marks a blow for Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.
In a post to X early Wednesday morning, Thune said that “Senate Republicans have put up a strong record of accomplishment that’s created safer streets, more money in Americans’ pockets, and new opportunities for families and businesses to get ahead.”
“I’m proud of our team and everything we’ve done for the American people,” Thune wrote. “Senate Republicans will not stand idly by as the far-left, socialist wing of the Democrat Party attempts to unwind everything we’ve done.”
Chuck Schumer speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 14, 2026. The New York Democrat is poised to be the next Senate Majority Leader.
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Finn Gomez/Getty Images
Across the aisle, Democrats’ victory represents a vindication for Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who faced criticism from some progressives early in the president’s second term that he was not doing enough to stand up to Trump.
In an October floor speech, Schumer said Democrats were ready to challenge President Trump and Republicans’ agenda.
“It’s a new day in America. Democrats have remade the Senate map. Our candidates have won in places previously thought impossible,” Schumer said in a post on X earlier Wednesday morning. “Now we must deliver for the American people. And we will.”
Source: www.npr.org
