Democrats flip House and secure major Senate victories in historic US elections

Democrats have won control of the US House of Representatives for the first time since 2022 and are making major gains in the Senate.

Senate Wins

In South Carolina, Annie Andrews won a shock Senate victory by beating Darline Graham, who had been appointed to the seat after the death of her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham. Andrews significantly outperformed Kamala Harris's 2024 presidential numbers in majority black counties in the state. Meanwhile, former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper defeated Republican Party insider Michael Whatley for an open Senate seat in North Carolina. Jon Ossoff also won re-election in Georgia, giving Democrats their first two Senate pick-ups out of the four they need to take full control of the chamber. Attention has now shifted to vote counts in Republican-held Senate seats in Texas, Kansas, and Ohio, with CBS News rating the Texas and Kansas races as leaning Democrat.

House and State Contests

Democrats also flipped open House seats in western North Carolina and Kentucky, and are well placed to make gains in Virginia and Indiana. These victories are driven by high voter turnout, particularly among black voters in the south and Hispanic voters in Miami-Dade County who had previously supported Republicans in 2024. In Florida, despite Republican efforts to redraw district boundaries and expectations of easy wins, several races turned into fierce contests. However, conservatives did secure some wins in the state, with Republican Senator Ashley Moody and congressman Byron Donalds winning their races.

Context

Midterm and off-year elections in the United States often serve as a referendum on the sitting president and the party in power. Shifts in voter turnout among key demographic groups like black and Hispanic voters can rapidly alter the political balance in historically safe regions.