Image Credit: Sergeant Matt Hecht via Flickr
Democrats took control of both the House and the Senate in the US midterms on November 3rd, in what has been called a ‘Blue Wave’.
In the House, the Democrats have secured 253 seats with 22 still being counted; achieving a majority with 218 needed. Prior to the midterms, Republicans had a 53-47 majority in the Senate, which required Democrats to flip four seats to gain a majority. As of the latest count, they flipped seven Republican-held seats (North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Ohio, Iowa, Maine, Kansas), with two races (Alaska and Mississippi) still too close to call, projecting them to hold 54 seats versus the Republicans’ 44.
Democrats also flipped five governorships, all in states Donald Trump won in 2024, and several of the winners have made history:
In Texas, Gina Hinojosa, the first Hispanic woman to lead the state, beat her opponent Greg Abott by 7 points, and became the first Democratic governor since 1995. In Georgia, Keisha Lance Bottoms, former Atlanta mayor, is the nation’s first Black woman governor ever, becoming the first Democratic governor in Georgia since 2002.
Ohio saw its first Democratic governor in 20 years with Amy Acton, much like Iowa, whose new elected governor Rob Sand is the first Democrat to lead in two decades.
Finally, Nevada’s Aaron Ford became the first Black governor in Nevada’s history.
The five new governors take office in January, giving Democrats a majority of governorships for the first time since 2010. The flips came on the same night Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate, NBC News projects. These results are a broad setback for Republicans halfway through Trump’s second term.