In the House, Democrats flipped more than two dozen districts, some of which Trump won by double digits in 2024. One tally puts the pickups at 33 or more and the majority above 250 seats, while another has Democrats at 251 and Republicans at 155. In Montana's 1st Congressional District, Democrat Sam Forstag defeated a Republican incumbent.

The Senate gains came in Iowa, Kansas, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas. In Maine, Troy Jackson defeated five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins. In Texas, James Talarico defeated state Attorney General Ken Paxton. Sherrod Brown beat Jon Husted in Ohio, and Josh Turek beat Ashley Hinson in Iowa. Annie Andrews defeated Darline Graham in South Carolina, ending a Republican hold of nearly 30 years. Roy Cooper, the former governor, became the first Democrat to win a North Carolina Senate race since 2008. Adam Hamilton, a reverend, is the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Kansas since 1932. In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed defeated Mike Rogers and will be the first Muslim U.S. senator. Chris Pappas won in New Hampshire, where Republican John Sununu lost by nearly 15 points.

The two uncalled Senate races are in Mississippi and Alaska. As of Wednesday, Democrat Scott Colom led in Mississippi by a few dozen votes. In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola led Republican Dan Sullivan by 626 votes with 74% of ballots counted. In the Kansas governor's race, Democrat Cindy Holscher led by 5,557 votes, and that contest was also undecided.

Democrats won governorships in several states. Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Rick Jackson in Georgia and is the first Black woman elected governor in the nation. Gina Hinojosa unseated incumbent Greg Abbott in Texas, where Democrats also flipped the state House after about 25 years of Republican control. Aaron Ford won in Nevada, David Crowley in Wisconsin and Jocelyn Benson in Michigan. Rob Sand won Iowa's governorship by 11 points, a 24-point swing from Trump's 2024 margin there. Democrats also swept statewide constitutional offices in Georgia.

Cost of living dominated the vote. About nine in ten voters called it crucial, 80% reported financial hardship from inflation, and roughly 60% disapproved of Trump's job performance. Candidates argued that Trump's policies had raised fuel and food prices, made worse by trade policy and the war in Iran. Vice President JD Vance blamed the Republican losses on the war. Trump defended the Iran conflict and the White House ballroom construction project, and said he has no regrets about his final campaign speech. Sen. Chris Van Hollen offered a more general reading: "Midterm elections are primarily a referendum on the party in power." Still, 52% of voters view the Democratic Party unfavorably.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is poised to become the first Black Speaker of the House in January, called the result an "American tsunami." He plans a 100-day agenda to lower costs for gas, groceries and healthcare, along with oversight of the Trump administration, and he named impeachment as a possible option. He also pointed to reversing Medicaid cuts and extending Affordable Care Act tax credits as areas where the two parties might agree. On the Republican side, House Speaker Mike Johnson will not seek reelection, and Jim Jordan and Steve Scalise are competing to replace him as party leader.

The 120th Congress convenes in January 2027. Democrats gain leverage in budget negotiations and the ability to block Cabinet and judicial nominations, including to the Supreme Court. Trump keeps executive action and the veto.

Inside the winning coalition, moderates made up about half of Democratic backing in key Senate races, up from roughly 40% before. About a third of Democratic voters identified as democratic socialists, including nearly half of those aged 18 to 29. Strategists Jamal Simmons and Lis Smith warned that the party must avoid internal ideological fights to keep its coalition together. Jeffries and Senate leader Chuck Schumer are expected to keep their leadership roles and will face pressure from the progressive wing, the New Democrat Coalition and the Blue Dog Coalition.

U.S. stocks rose after the results, with the Dow up more than 1,500 points, and oil prices fell sharply. In California, voters rejected Proposition 40, a billionaire tax, with 55% voting against.