Democrats posted a broad series of victories in the U.S. midterm elections on Wednesday, taking congressional seats held by Republicans and winning governor's races in traditionally conservative territory. The results delivered a political setback to President Donald Trump, with his party losing several prominent contests.
The Democratic Party was projected to win control of both the House and Senate. Victories in several battleground states put Democrats in a position to limit Trump's ability to advance his legislative agenda during the final two years of his presidency. The projected congressional outcome accompanied a series of significant Democratic wins at the state level.
Texas produced two of the election's biggest surprises. Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in the Senate race, becoming the first Democrat elected to represent the state in the U.S. Senate since 1988. His victory gave Democrats a breakthrough in a state that has traditionally favored Republicans.
Democrats also captured the Texas governorship, where Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican incumbent Greg Abbott. Hinojosa became the state's first Latina governor. Her victory brought an end to more than three decades of Republican control of the governor's office, adding a second historic result to the party's gains in Texas.
In North Carolina, former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper won a Republican-held Senate seat by defeating Michael Whatley, who had Trump's backing. Cooper will replace retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. Tillis announced his departure after a clash with the president over Trump's tax and spending legislation, leaving the seat to be contested in the midterms.
Georgia delivered wins for Democrats in both its Senate and governor's races. Sen. Jon Ossoff retained his seat against Republican challenger Mike Collins, another candidate backed by Trump. In the governor's contest, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms won a historic victory, becoming the first Black woman elected governor of any U.S. state.
In Ohio, former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown returned to electoral success with a victory over Republican incumbent Jon Husted. Brown's win in the closely watched Senate contest marked a political comeback and added to the Democratic victories across the battleground states.
The midterms were widely seen as a judgment on Trump's second term. Voter sentiment was weighed down by concerns about living costs, inflation and the war in Iran, as the president's party faced losses in congressional contests and governor's races.
