Ecstatic scenes and historic moments: What's happened so far in the midterms

What the report says

BBC World News reports that Democrats have won control of both chambers of the US Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, securing the Senate and the House of Representatives and setting up a divided government for the rest of Donald Trump’s presidency. The results produced celebratory scenes among Democratic supporters and marked a series of notable gains in states that had backed Trump in the previous presidential race.

Among the headline results, former North Carolina governor Roy Cooper flipped a Senate seat for Democrats, while Hakeem Jeffries emerged as the party’s likely choice for House speaker if Democrats keep him as their leader. Trump responded in a conciliatory tone in media interviews, congratulating Democrats on a strong performance and saying he would work with them, while still retaining veto power over legislation.

The BBC also highlighted several historic individual victories. In Georgia, former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms was projected to win the governorship, which would make her the state’s first Black governor and first woman elected to that office. Democrat Jon Ossoff won re-election to the Senate in Georgia, and Chris Pappas became the first openly gay man elected to the Senate after winning in New Hampshire.

The article places these outcomes in the wider context of a consequential midterm cycle, with Democrats making gains across the South and parts of the Midwest and signaling a possible shift in the political landscape heading toward the next presidential race.