Overview
- Election returns on and after Tuesday showed Democrats winning enough seats to claim majorities in both the House and the Senate, a rare midterm reversal of the president’s party.
- Several milestone winners were reported, including Abdul El‑Sayed as the first Muslim U.S. senator, Peggy Flanagan as the first Indigenous woman in the Senate, Deb Haaland as the first Indigenous state governor, and Chris Pappas as the first openly gay man in the Senate.
- Democrats also flipped long Republican strongholds, notably Senate seats in Kansas and Texas and the Texas governor’s office, signaling notable geographic shifts in several battleground states.
- More than 61.7 million early and absentee ballots were cast this year, boosting turnout and shaping late returns while a small number of races—most prominently Alaska’s Senate contest—remain uncalled and await local certification.
- The partisan change will affect the president’s ability to advance policy and appointments, and it positions Hakeem Jeffries to seek the first Black House speakership when members formally vote at the start of the new Congress on January 3, 2027.