President Barack Obama said voters sent a clear message of unity and solutions in Tuesday’s midterm elections, as Democrats took control of Congress and performed well in states that hadn’t been competitive for the party in decades.
“Tonight, the American people sent a clear message: They want a politics that brings people together rather than divides them, and leaders who offer concrete solutions to the challenges they face,” Obama wrote on X early Tuesday night.
PBS News says Democrats controlled the Senate late Tuesday and the House of Representatives Wednesday morning, ending Republican control of Congress and giving Democrats a powerful check on President Donald Trump for the next two years of his term.
Obama credits the party’s candidates with a night that expanded into territories long held by Republicans.
“These results were only possible because outstanding candidates stepped forward in every region of the country, including in areas once considered long shots,” Obama wrote. “They came from different backgrounds and represented a range of political perspectives, but were united by shared values, a belief in public service, and a commitment to putting the people of their districts and states first.”
In Texas, state Rep. James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton to become the first Democrat to win a US Senate seat in Texas since 1988. In Kansas, Adam Hamilton defeated Republican Senator Roger Marshall, and in Maine, Democrat Troy Jackson beat Republican Senator Susan Collins, thus ending her nearly three-decade-long tenure in the Senate.
The Democrats needed a net gain of four Senate seats and succeeded in flipping seven seats held by the Republicans in Iowa, Kansas, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas, per NBC News projections.
One of the night’s biggest upsets occurred in South Carolina. Dr. Annie Andrews, a pediatrician and political novice, defeated Republican Senator Darline Graham, who had just recently taken up the Senate seat left vacant by her late brother, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.
Annie Andrews is the first Democrat to be elected to the Senate from South Carolina since 1998 and the first woman ever to represent South Carolina in the chamber. Trump carried South Carolina by about 18 points in 2024.
In other races, Sherrod Brown defeated Republican Senator Jon Husted in Ohio, former Governor Roy Cooper won an open Senate seat in North Carolina, and Josh Turek beat Republican Representative Ashley Hinson in Iowa. Jon Ossoff won re-election in Georgia, beating Republican Representative Mike Collins.
Democrats also made significant gains in Texas. Democrat Bobby Pulido, a Tejano singer, beat Republican Monica De La Cruz in the 15th district, and Democrats won the seat vacated by Republican Tony Gonzales.
In South Carolina’s open 1st District, Democrat Nancy Lacore led Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt as of early Wednesday, but the race had yet to be called.
NBC News projections show Democrats will win at least 258 seats in the House of Representatives, comfortably above the 218 needed for a majority. Democrats also won governors’ races in Texas, Georgia, Ohio, and Iowa, according to NBC News.
Obama thanked the election officials.
“We also owe a debt of gratitude to the thousands of election officials and volunteers from both parties who helped ensure a smooth election and carried out one of the most essential functions of our democracy,” Obama wrote.
Election Day proceeded without any problems Tuesday, even amid concerns about potential interference from the Trump administration. Issues were few, isolated, and routine, according to The Votebeat, a network that covers election administration.
Flooding in Florida and the Southwest required some changes in polling places, and a problem with ballot scanners in Westchester County, New York, slowed down vote counting even as voting continued. Early-voting turnout was high compared to 2022.
David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, called the low number of problems “remarkable” and said heavy early voting may have helped. In South Carolina, state officials said turnout set 30-year highs for both total ballots cast and the voter participation rate.
In South Carolina, state officials reported turnout reaching 30-year highs in both overall votes cast and the turnout rate.
Obama played a critical role in the campaign’s closing days. On Oct. 24, he addressed voters in Cleveland with Sherrod Brown and in Detroit with Michigan’s Democratic Senate candidate, and campaigned in Georgia for Ossoff. He raised over $13.6 million for Democratic candidates in fundraising and direct mail campaigns, The National News Desk reported.
All three Senate candidates won on Tuesday.
The new majorities will shape the last two years of Trump’s presidency and may limit his ability to push his agenda, including attempts to keep the conservative makeup of the Supreme Court. Trump promised to veto Democratic bills, which would create gridlock.
Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the House Minority Leader, is expected to become the speaker of the House in January.
“While this administration has another two years in office, our job now is to roll up our sleeves, make changes wherever we have the power to do so, prevent further damage, and lay the groundwork for the future,” Obama wrote.
