Election Results: Democrats Win House, Republicans Keep Control of Senate    

Tuesday’s midterm elections were some of the most hard-fought in years, and more people than usual turned out to vote. In the end, Democrats won control of the House of Representatives, picking up at least 26 seats. But Republicans claimed victory as well, adding to their narrow majority in the Senate.

Democrats also captured governorships that had been held by Republicans in Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, and Wisconsin. But in Florida, Republican Ron DeSantis narrowly defeated his Democratic opponent, Andrew Gillum. If he had won, Gillum would have become the state’s first African-American governor.

The results provided fresh evidence of the sharp split in American political life.  Democrats won in many congressional districts in suburban areas where people have been vocal in their opposition to President Donald Trump’s policies. But Republican Senate candidates won in more rural, conservative states. 

Tuesday’s results mean Republicans will remain in control of the Senate, while Democrats will be in charge of the House. Experts see this as a setback for the president. He is likely now to face a series of investigations—led by Democrats in the House—into controversial White House policies.

“Tonight, the American people have demanded accountability from their government and sent a clear message of what they want from Congress,” Democratic Congressman Jerrold Nadler of New York tweeted. The president “may not like it, but he and his administration will be held accountable to our laws and to the American people.”

But despite the Democratic takeover of the House, President Trump was upbeat about the midterm results.

“Received so many Congratulations from so many on our Big Victory last night,” he tweeted Wednesday morning.

In the closing weeks of the campaign, President Trump focused on illegal immigration as a key issue. This strategy seems to have appealed to many of his supporters in rural areas, but may have turned off more moderate voters in the suburbs.

Still, the results were not unexpected. Historically, the party out of power—in this case, the Democrats—generally makes large gains in midterms. In fact, in 36 of the 39 midterm elections since 1862, the president’s party has lost seats in the House.

Democratic control of the House could have a big impact on Trump’s presidency—and the nation. With Democrats in charge, the Trump administration will be limited in its ability to do the things it has promised. These include building a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, lowering taxes, and limiting immigration to the U.S. 

Republicans did win some important races. Republican Senate candidates defeated three Democratic Senators in Indiana, Missouri, and North Dakota. In Tennessee, Marsha Blackburn, a conservative Republican and Trump ally, defeated Democrat Phil Bredensen, who was formerly the state’s governor.

One of the most closely watched races of the night was in Texas, where Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas held onto his seat, despite a strong challenge from Democrat Beto O’Rourke. The fact that O’Rourke came so close to winning indicates changes in a state that has been considered a Republican stronghold for decades.

In a number of races, history was made last night. In Colorado, voters elected the nation’s first openly gay governor. Voters in Kansas and New Mexico elected the first Native American women who will serve in Congress. And in Michigan and Minnesota, Muslim women—a Palestinian American and a Somali American—were elected to Congress for the first time. The newly elected Congress will be more diverse than ever before, with a record number of women.