Democrats win both houses of US Congress, taking seven Senate seats from Republicans

The Democratic Party has won control of both houses of the US Congress, according to projections by NBC News and CBS News, in a midterm election that turned sharply against President Donald Trump's Republicans. Democrats took at least seven Senate seats from Republicans, including Texas, Ohio and North Carolina, and were projected to win a large House majority after flipping about 20 seats.

The result, which networks projected between about 8.45 am and 10 am IST on Wednesday, gives Democrats the power from January to block Trump's legislation, open investigations and challenge his war with Iran through votes on funding and war powers. Trump said he would accept the results and use his veto. "I wasn't on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!" he wrote on Truth Social. For India, the outcome matters most through the Iran war, oil prices and US tariff policy.

What happened

CBS News projected at 10.15 pm Eastern time on Tuesday (8.45 am IST) that Democrats would win the House of Representatives, and NBC News followed at 11.04 pm (9.34 am IST), estimating the party would end up with about 252 of the 435 seats; 218 are needed for a majority. By 11.56 pm Eastern, NBC counted 20 House seats flipped by Democrats and none by Republicans. Among the Republicans who lost were Richard Hudson of North Carolina, who chairs the party's House campaign committee, and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, NBC reported. Democrats won three of Iowa's four House seats, CBS reported.

In the Senate, which Republicans held 53-47, NBC projected at 11.23 pm Eastern (9.53 am IST) that Democrats would take control, and CBS made the same projection shortly after 11.30 pm. Democrats needed a net gain of four seats. By NBC's count at 12.48 am Eastern (11.18 am IST), they had flipped seven: Iowa, Kansas, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas. NBC's tally then stood at 53 seats for the Democrats and 41 for the Republicans, with six races uncalled.

The flips included Democrat James Talarico's win over Republican Ken Paxton in Texas, Sherrod Brown's in Ohio, Roy Cooper's in North Carolina, Annie Andrews's in South Carolina and Josh Turek's in Iowa. In Kansas, Adam Hamilton defeated Senator Roger Marshall, which NBC said would be the state's first Democratic Senate win since 1932. In Maine, Senator Susan Collins conceded to Troy Jackson, saying she had called him "to congratulate him"; the networks had not formally called the race, which uses ranked-choice counting. Democrats held Georgia, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Oregon and Virginia.

Still uncounted at the time of writing were Michigan, where Democrat Abdul El-Sayed led Republican Mike Rogers by 50.7% to 47.4% with about 60% of the vote counted; Alaska, where Democrat Mary Peltola led Republican Senator Dan Sullivan with about a fifth counted; Nebraska, Mississippi, Idaho and Montana, according to NBC's results page. These are partial counts and may change.

Democrats also won governorships from Republicans. In Texas, Gina Hinojosa defeated Governor Greg Abbott; in Ohio, Amy Acton beat Vivek Ramaswamy; and Democrats won in Iowa and Georgia, CBS and NBC reported.

Background

Midterm elections, held halfway through a president's term, usually go against the party in the White House. This one was fought over prices and over the war with Iran, now in its ninth month. In exit polls cited by CBS News, Trump's approval stood at 38%, which CBS said was on course to be a record low for a president at a midterm. AAA put the average US petrol price on election day at $4.15 a gallon, the highest on record for an election day, CBS reported.

Trump acknowledged that the Iran war and energy prices had likely hurt his party, CBS reported. He said he would consider further strikes on Iran after reviewing the situation. Before the vote, US media had reported that the military had plans for a short campaign that could start as early as Wednesday (see our separate report).

What they are saying

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is in line to become Speaker, said: "America is back." Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said: "Against all odds, we Democrats have won the Senate." Senator Ron Wyden posted a single word: "Subpoenas."

Senate Republican leader John Thune, who will lose the majority leader's post in January, said Republicans would work with Trump to "stop the worst impulses" of Democrats, CBS reported. House Speaker Mike Johnson blamed historical patterns in midterm voting, NBC reported. Trump told Fox News he was "a little bit surprised" and blamed Abbott's defeat on the governor having become a "RINO", a Republican in name only. He later said several Democrats had called him and that he looked forward to working with them, while posting the word "VETO" in capitals.

Why it matters for India

The war with Iran is the most direct link. A Democratic Congress can pass war-powers resolutions and use its control over spending to try to restrain US military action. Trump can veto such measures, and Democrats will not have the two-thirds majorities in both chambers needed to override a veto. Any new fighting would again disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, on which India relies heavily for oil and gas, and endanger Indian crews in the Gulf.

On trade, analysts quoted by Indian outlets before the vote said the result would not change the interim India-US trade talks much. "The results of these midterms will not, as such, impact the trade deal with India," the foreign affairs commentator Robinder Sachdev told ANI, because tariffs are set under the president's executive powers. The Daily Pioneer noted that a Democratic House could hold hearings and pass bills to repeal tariffs, but that tariff authority and the use of a September sanctions law, which allows tariffs of up to 100% on the biggest buyers of Russian oil, a group led by India and China, would stay with the White House.

Indian shares were little changed in early trade. The Nifty 50 rose 0.1% to 23,840.15 and the Sensex 0.2% to 77,080.95 by 9.17 am IST, Reuters reported, as investors weighed what the result means for the Middle East conflict, energy prices and trade.

What happens next

Counting continues in the uncalled Senate races, and Alaska and Maine may take days to settle. The new Congress takes office on 3 January 2027; until then the current Republican majorities remain in place. Democrats will choose their House Speaker, with Jeffries expected to be nominated; former Speaker Nancy Pelosi has endorsed him, CBS reported.

Key numbers

• 7: Senate seats flipped to Democrats by NBC's count (Iowa, Kansas, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas)
• 4: net Senate gain Democrats needed for control
• About 252: House seats NBC estimates Democrats will win; 218 are needed
• 20: House seats flipped by Democrats by midnight Eastern, none by Republicans (NBC)
• 38%: Trump's approval in exit polls (CBS)
• $4.15: average US petrol price per gallon on election day (AAA, via CBS)