Voters reject Trump-aligned candidates in midterm rout

The election served as a referendum on Trump’s influence, despite his absence from the ballot, and resulted in a landslide victory for Democrats.

Democrats flipped at least seven U.S. Senate seats, including in states that Trump previously won by significant margins. Landmark victories included the election of the first Democratic senators in Texas and Maine in nearly 40 years, and the first Democratic senator in Kansas in almost a century. Projections also indicated a potential loss of a Senate seat in Mississippi for Republicans, and Abdul El-Sayed was projected to defeat Trump-backed Mike Rogers in Michigan.

Beyond the Senate, Democrats secured control of governor’s offices, flipped state legislatures, and achieved Democratic trifectas in several states. Republicans, attempting to bolster their chances by redrawing congressional districts, instead lost House seats in those newly drawn districts.

Early results showed Democratic victories in a Kentucky House district that favored Trump by 15 points and in two Florida districts Republicans had explicitly targeted for Republican wins. The shift in Florida resulted in Democrats breaking the Republican supermajority in the state House, allowing for greater resistance to Republican policies.

Keisha Lance Bottoms was elected governor of Georgia, marking the first Black woman to hold that position and ending over two decades of Republican control in the state. In Ohio, Democrat Amy Acton defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, despite Trump’s defense of a controversial campaign ad targeting Acton’s mother.

Democrats also achieved trifectas in Arizona, Michigan, and Minnesota, and expanded their power in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Missouri, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Georgia.

The election cycle was among the most expensive in history, with Republican-backed groups spending $5.45 billion on advertising, compared to roughly $5 billion from Democratic campaigns. The Texas Senate race between Ken Paxton and James Talarico saw nearly half a billion dollars spent, fueled in part by Elon Musk’s involvement.

Despite the significant spending, voters prioritized concerns such as the cost of living, healthcare, and the ongoing war in Iran, alongside concerns about Trump himself.

Trump, who has frequently questioned election integrity, conceded the results on Tuesday night, telling Fox News, “They did a good job.” He quickly attributed the losses to others, reiterating, “I wasn’t on the ballot.” He also criticized Fox News’ coverage and blamed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for shifting political stances.