Democrats Seize Control of Congress in Major Electoral Shift
Republicans lose seven Senate seats and 25 House districts as economic concerns and Trump's legacy influence voters.
Sarah Connor
Democrats have taken control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
James Talarico secured a Texas Senate seat, winning by more than 10 points. A Democrat last won a Senate seat in Texas in 1988.
Counties with a Black majority shifted significantly towards Democratic candidates in Senate races.
Donald Trump's decision to engage in a war with Iran drove price increases, influencing voter sentiment. The national average for a gallon of gas surged above $4, an increase of about $1 from the previous year.
These gas price increases dominated election night coverage, with an interactive map highlighting the economic impact. Foreign policy decisions resonated deeply with the electorate.
Kansas elected its first Democratic senator since 1932, another historic win for the party. Ann Wagner lost Missouri's second congressional district to the Democrats, securing 46.2% of the votes against the Democrats' 51.1%.
Keisha Lance Bottoms was elected governor of Georgia, becoming the nation's first Black woman governor. Gina Hinojosa will become the first Latina governor of Texas, and Xavier Becerra is California's first elected Latino governor.
Amy Acton, a Democrat, defeated Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican, in the Ohio governor's race.
Voter turnout in the 2018 midterms reached its highest point since 1914. Republicans won the rural vote in 2018, a trend that may have shifted in the current cycle.
Donald Trump remains popular with a significant portion of the Republican base. He encouraged voters to pretend he was on the ballot in the current midterms, touring red states in October.