WASHINGTON: Democrats won control of the U.S. Senate in Tuesday's midterm elections, securing 52 seats, to the Republicans' 40, ending Republican control of the chamber and gaining new leverage over President Donald Trump for the rest of his term.
CBS News projected that Democrats flipped seats in Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Kansas and Iowa, and held seats in Georgia and New Hampshire. The Associated Press also called the Senate races in those states, according to the account supplied for this story. CBS also projected that Democrats would win the House, which would give the party control of both chambers of Congress beginning in January for the first time since 2022.
The Senate majority will allow Democrats to hold up Trump's legislative agenda and his nominees, including any to the Supreme Court, where conservatives hold a 6-3 majority.
Vote counting continues in Minnesota and Michigan, where Democrats hope to hold seats vacated by retiring Democratic senators. It also continues in Maine, where Republican Sen. Susan Collins is the last GOP senator representing a state that backed Democrat Kamala Harris in 2024.
Democrats are also seeking to unseat two-term Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska, a race that could take days to decide. The size of the Democratic majority remains to be seen.
Few expected the shift after the 2024 election, when Trump won the White House and Republicans gained their majority. Most states with 2026 Senate races leaned heavily toward one party, and split-ticket voting has declined in recent years.
Democrats initially targeted Republican-held seats in North Carolina, Ohio, Alaska and Maine. Republicans hoped to flip Democratic-held seats in Georgia and Michigan, both of which Trump won in 2024, and in New Hampshire and Minnesota, which Harris carried narrowly.
Trump's approval ratings fell during his second term, particularly on the economy and immigration, which had been among his strongest issues. Voters also reacted to his decision to attack Iran and to highly visible immigration raids that led to the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis. CBS reported that the war with Iran and high gas and diesel prices put more states in play for Democrats in the final months of the campaign.
Several Democratic wins came in states that had not elected a Democratic senator in years. Kansas last did so in 1932 and Texas in 1988. In South Carolina, 38 years have passed since a Democrat won a Senate race. In Iowa and North Carolina, the gap is 18 years.
Trump's involvement in Republican primaries also drew scrutiny. He criticized North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., for opposing his main domestic policy bill, and Tillis announced he would retire. Former Gov. Roy Cooper, the Democratic nominee, won the open seat.
In Texas, Trump endorsed state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has faced scandals, over longtime Sen. John Cornyn. Cornyn lost the primary, and Democratic state Rep. James Talarico won the general election by a double-digit margin, according to the AP.
What it means for Trump
- Nominations. With the majority, Democrats can block the president's nominees and control which measures receive floor votes, severely limiting his ability to get anything done legislatively. The Post reported before the election that a Democratic Senate could block nominees in a way a Democratic House alone cannot.
- Investigations. Senate Democrats would also gain subpoena power, giving the party more ability to investigate Trump.
- Limits on Democrats. Even if Democrats hold both chambers, the Senate's 60-vote threshold for most legislation limits their ability to pass an agenda. Trump retains his veto.
- Disagreement over how far Democrats will go. The Post reported that some Republicans expect gridlock and warned Democrats would not confirm Trump's picks. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., raised the possibility of a Supreme Court vacancy if Justice Samuel Alito retires. Some Democrats said they would not automatically oppose Trump's nominees.
