The U.S. political map? Anyone's guess after Democratic wave

Politics

Nov 4, 2026 10:14 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Voters took a wrecking ball to the traditional map of political battlegrounds, electing Democrats in states that were long considered reliably Republican.

LIVE RESULTS: 2026 Midterm Election Map

Kansas, South Carolina, Texas, Ohio and Iowa, all states Republican Donald Trump easily won two years ago in the presidential election, backed Democrats for the U.S. Senate and occasionally governor, too, on Tuesday.

Now the question is whether the results represent a durable tectonic shift — one that could reshape the path to the presidency — or a fluke stemming from Trump's deep unpopularity and voters' unhappiness with the rising cost of living.

Stand with free and independent journalism. Join Press Pass from PBS News

Either way, Republicans are reeling from losses they never expected at the start of this election year.

Kansas backed a Democratic senator for the first time since 1932 as Adam Hamilton, a Methodist megachurch pastor, defeated Republican Sen. Roger Marshall.

WATCH LIVE: Takeaways from the 2026 midterms and answers to your election questions

South Carolina rejected Republican Sen. Darline Graham in favor of pediatrician Annie Andrews, the first Democrat to win a Senate seat there since 1998.

Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer of New York called it a "generational remake of the Senate map."

The Democratic victories went even deeper in Texas. James Talarico beat Ken Paxton for Senate, Gina Hinojosa ousted Gov. Greg Abbott, Vikki Goodwin dislodged Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Nathan Johnson defeated Mayes Middleton for attorney general.

Until Tuesday, no Democrat had won a statewide race in Texas since 1994.

WATCH: How does The Associated Press call 2026 midterm election winners? 4 things to know

"This was a wave election in Texas and across the country," Patrick acknowledged in a statement.

Democrats also swept to power in states that were once battlegrounds but were more recently viewed as out of reach.

Iowa chose Rob Sand for governor and Josh Turek for senator, and Ohio backed Amy Acton for governor and Sherrod Brown for senator.

Brown is a former senator who lost his seat just two years ago, defeated by Republican Bernie Moreno. This time, he beat Republican Sen. Jon Husted.

A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy.

Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue.

Left: Texas Senator-elect James Talarico and Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa, both Democrats, toast with drinks while being surrounded by supporters at Whataburger in Austin on Nov. 4, 2026. Photo by James Talarico via X/Handout via Reuters