Midterm election results Senate: Democrats win House and reshape Congress

Democrats are set to take control of Congress after the US midterm elections, with CNN projecting at least 245 House seats for the party as results continued to come in on Wednesday. Two Senate races had not yet been called, and the scale of the Republican losses has become the central story of the night-after analysis in Washington.

A rejection of Trump's first two years back in office

The incumbent president's party usually struggles in midterm contests, but analysts quoted by the BBC describe this result as a broad rejection of Donald Trump's two years in the White House. Voters across the country pointed to rising living costs, with inflation at 3.7% in the year to September, driven largely by fuel and energy prices.

Polling cited by the BBC found that 79% of voters said inflation had caused their family a severe or moderate hardship in the past year. More than six in 10 blamed the president's policies for higher prices.

The war with Iran, which the United States and Israel launched in February, also weighed on voters. Fuel prices rose sharply after Tehran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, and a voter poll cited by the BBC found 63% of Americans thought the US made the wrong decision to take military action. Three-quarters of voters said the conflict was a crucial or major factor in their Congressional vote.

Republicans search for who is to blame

Trump said on Wednesday that it was "largely true" the Iran war contributed to the Republican defeat, echoing remarks from Vice President JD Vance, according to CNN. The morning after the vote, Trump told Fox News that he had no choice but to intervene to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.

Several Republican lawmakers and allies have moved quickly to place blame on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CNN reported. The House could vote as soon as next week on whether to impeach him. Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly said Trump "should fire him", adding that Hegseth was "unable to do this job".

Senate Democrats have also issued document preservation letters ahead of expected investigations, and the Department of Homeland Security is preparing for a rise in congressional oversight requests, according to current and former officials cited by CNN.

Candidates who broke through

The BBC reported that several Democratic candidates ran on cost of living and health care, often with a faith-based or personal message. In South Carolina, Democrat Annie Andrews, a former paediatrician, won in an upset. In Georgia, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff won re-election in a state Trump carried twice.

In Nevada, Democrat Aaron Ford claimed victory in his bid to become the state's first Black governor. He said Republican Governor Joe Lombardo had conceded by phone that morning, and he pledged to work on housing, health care and energy costs. Teresa Benitez-Thompson, the Democrat elected to represent Nevada's 2nd District, said voters' "frustration across the board" drove their choice.

In Texas, James Talarico, a former teacher, said he was ready to work with Trump on border security and immigration reform. In Montana's 1st District, Democrat Sam Forstag won a seat Trump carried by more than 11 points in 2024.

What we know so far

Democrats are expected to hold power in Congress, but the size of their majorities is still being counted. The Senate race in Mississippi had no final result, and Democratic candidate Scott Colom told CNN he was feeling "confident". The Alaska race was rated by CNN Sightline as favouring the Democrat. Both Congressional leaders, Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer, are preparing an agenda of legislation and investigations aimed at Trump's policies.