Democrats win control of House and Senate: Key US midterms takeaways

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that Democrats won control of both chambers of the US Congress in the midterm elections, flipping Republican-held House and Senate seats in states including Texas, South Carolina, Iowa, Michigan and Kansas. The result is being read as a major setback for President Donald Trump’s party and, according to the outlet, marks the first time in 20 years that a Republican president has lost both houses of Congress.

The article says Democrats secured 228 House seats so far, with several races still outstanding, and won 54 Senate seats with one more lead pending. That would give them clear control of the upper chamber and a stronger House majority than they have held in decades. Al Jazeera notes that all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats were on the ballot, alongside governor, state legislature and local contests in many states.

The story highlights several historic outcomes, including Abdul El-Sayed becoming the first Muslim elected to the US Senate, Juliana Stratton helping create the first moment when three Black women will serve in the Senate at the same time, and Deb Haaland becoming the first Native American woman elected governor of a US state. It also cites Democratic wins in Kansas and Texas as especially notable because both states have long leaned Republican.

Overall, the results suggest a broad electoral backlash against Trump-era Republicans and a significant shift in congressional power heading into the next two years.