US Midterm Results: Democrats Win Control of Congress

The US midterm results are a heavy defeat for President Donald Trump. Democrats are projected to win control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, NBC News and CBS News projected on Tuesday night, November 3 (Wednesday morning in Thailand). It is the first time since 2006 that the minority party has taken both chambers on a single night.

Senate: wins in deep-red states

CBS News projected that Democrats would flip Senate seats in Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Kansas and Iowa, while holding Georgia and New Hampshire. Republicans had a 53-47 majority before the vote.

The BBC called South Carolina "a huge shock" and noted that Kansas had not elected a Democratic senator since 1932. At the time of its report, Alaska and Maine were still toss-ups. Results in some states were still being counted, so final seat totals may change.

House: a large majority

NBC News projected Democrats would win about 255 House seats, far above the 218 needed and possibly their biggest majority in nearly two decades. The BBC reported that Democrats also won Florida districts that had been redrawn to favour Republicans.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is now in line to become the first Black Speaker of the House. The new Congress meets on January 3.

Trump's reaction

On social media, Trump wrote: "I wasn't on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!" Later, in a phone interview with The New York Times, he said he was "absolutely willing" to accept the results and to work with Democrats. "We'll probably work something out," he said, as reported by Reuters and the Bangkok Post.

Why voters turned

• In the NBC News exit poll, 43% of voters said one reason for their choice was to show opposition to Trump.
• 71% of voters, including 41% of Republicans, said Congress is not doing enough to oversee the president.
• Affordability, corruption, immigration and the war with Iran were major issues. Fuel prices rose after the US and Israel launched the war in late February.
• The BBC said a large poll found Hispanic voters in Florida backing the Democratic Senate candidate by 55% to 44%.

Other key races

ABC News projected Democrat Amy Acton would beat Republican Vivek Ramaswamy for governor of Ohio, and Deb Haaland would win in New Mexico. In Florida, Republican Byron Donalds won the governor's race, The Verge reported, citing AP.

What happens next

With both chambers, Democrats will be able to hold oversight hearings, issue subpoenas and block Trump's nominees, including any Supreme Court pick. Trump's last two years in office could see major clashes between the White House and Congress. For Thailand and Asia, US policy on trade, the Iran war and oil prices will be the main things to watch.

Background: US midterm elections: what to know and Trump's plan to end Israel aid.

Photo: the US Capitol at dusk, by Martin Falbisoner / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. File photo.