Democrats Take Control of U.S. House as Indian-American Candidates Secure Major Wins

UPDATE - follow-up to U.S. Midterm Elections 2026 LIVE: Democrats gain early momentum as results trickle in; Indian-American Pia Dandiya wins Florida seat: Democrats have won control of the U.S. House of Representatives from Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections. The elections served as a referendum on U.S. President Donald Trump's two years in power. Indian-American candidates recorded major victories across the country. Pia Dandiya won Florida's 22nd congressional district with 51.9 percent of the vote, defeating Marine veteran Casey Askar, who got 49.1 percent. Suhas Subramanyam and Aruna Miller won re-election. Mr. Subramanyam won Virginia's 10th district with over 61.5 percent of the vote against Republican Dave Beckwith, who received 36.4 percent. Democrats also flipped a Senate seat in North Carolina. Former Governor Roy Cooper defeated Republican Michael Whatley. Pediatrician Annie Andrews won another Senate seat by defeating Darline Graham, who had filled the seat after her brother Lindsey Graham's death in July. In New Jersey, former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot Rebecca Bennett defeated U.S. Representative Tom Kean. Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican Rick Jackson to become the first Black woman elected governor of Georgia. President Donald Trump stated that his Republican Party would have won in a landslide if he had been on the ballot. An anonymous White House official described the mood inside the White House as defiant despite the election losses.

Context

Midterm elections in the United States take place midway through a president's four-year term. These elections decide all seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and about one-third of the Senate seats, often altering the political balance of power in Washington.