US midterms: Democrats gain control of House and Senate from Republicans

Skip next section Democrats win control of House of Representatives

November 4, 2026

Democrats win control of House of Representatives

Democrats took control of the House of Representative in the midterm elections, according to projections from the Associated Press.

Edited by:Sean Sinico

https://p.dw.com/p/5P2ga

Skip next section Live election results

Published November 4, 2026last updated November 4, 2026

Live election results

Edited by:Dmytro Hubenko

https://p.dw.com/p/5P2MU

Skip next section WATCH — Voters react to Talarico victory in Texas

November 4, 2026

WATCH — Voters react to Talarico victory in Texas

Democrat James Talarico has flipped a US Senate seat in the state of Texas.

DW correspondent Misha Komadovsky asked participants of the Democrat watch party in Austin for their reactions.

'I had hopes, but this is unbelievable'

Edited by:Sean Sinico

https://p.dw.com/p/5P2fK

Skip next section Fact check: Did Paxton challenge his election loss to Talarico?

November 4, 2026

Fact check: Did Paxton challenge his election loss to Talarico?

Claim: "I cannot accept that the result tonight was free or fair. It is simply not possible for somebody with the radical ideology of James Talarico to win an election in Texas fairly," reads an alleged statement from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton shown on NBC News. The X post of the screengrab was viewed more than 600,000 times.

Paxton, however, did not say this, and this is not an authentic screenshot of an NBC broadcast. In fact, the opposite is true.

The Republican Senate candidate conceded his race to Talarico.

"Let me start off by congratulating James Talarico. I will commit that I will be praying for him that he will do good for Texas and this nation," Paxton said to a party of campaign supporters.

Talarico won in one of the night's biggest upsets, becoming the first Texan Democrat to win statewide office in three decades.

Edited by:Sean Sinico

https://p.dw.com/p/5P2fJ

Skip next section Collins concedes defeat in Maine, AP calls race for Jackson

Published November 4, 2026last updated November 4, 2026

Collins concedes defeat in Maine, AP calls race for Jackson

Susan Collins, the longest-serving female Republican senator in US history, has conceded defeat to Democratic challenger Troy Jackson, local media reported.

Shortly after her concession, the Associated Press also called the race for Jackson. 

After two-thirds of the votes were counted, projections had shown Collins at 47.5% to Jackson's 52.4%.

Despite vowing to only serve two terms when she was first elected, Collins has represented the northeastern state in the Senate since 1997. 

Maine is often called the "whitest" state due to its lack of diversity as well as having one of the highest rural populations per capita. Although it usually votes Democratic in other races, it has often sent Republican senators to Washington.

Despite its relatively small population, Collins' reputation as a moderate Republican who sometimes voted alongside Democrats often gave her outsized power in Washington, where she was sometimes regarded as a swing voter on Senate legislation. 

Edited by:Sean Sinico

https://p.dw.com/p/5P2bN

Skip next section Texas Democrat Talarico: 'Tonight we defeated Goliath'

November 4, 2026

Texas Democrat Talarico: 'Tonight we defeated Goliath'

Democrat James Talarico celebrated with supporters in Austin, saying that "all the money in the world is no match for the people of Texas."

His remarks followed a Texas Senate race in which Elon Musk poured more than $160 million into supporting Republican Ken Paxton.

"We just sent a message to every billionaire mega-donor, every trillionaire mega-donor, every corrupt defender of this broken political system, in this state, in this country, power belongs to the people," Talarico said.

He said the message had been sent to “the richest man in the world, the most powerful man in the world and the entire DC establishment.”

Talarico also invoked the biblical story of David and Goliath to describe the result: "The people of Texas were my slingshot, and tonight we defeated Goliath." 

Edited by:Sean Sinico

https://p.dw.com/p/5P2d4

Skip next section Trump blames Iran war in part for Republican losses

November 4, 2026

Trump blames Iran war in part for Republican losses

US President Donald Trump acknowledged that the war in Iran and its impact on gasoline prices contributed to Republicans' midterm losses, while expressing surprise at the result.

Projections show Democrats taking control of the Senate and also likely the House of Representatives, giving them greater power to challenge his legislative agenda.

"I think a part of it was Iran, but at the same time people understood the importance of what I've done with Iran," Trump told broadcaster Fox News. He suggested voters had been unwilling to accept the short-term rise in gasoline prices.

"We had tremendous rallies," Trump said. "I'm a little bit surprised." He conceded that Democrats "did a good job."

Trump said he could cooperate with Democrats on several issues, including immigration, but warned that he would veto proposals he opposed.

"They'll send over things that are insane, and I'll veto them," he said. "And after a couple of months of vetoes, they'll call and they'll say, 'How do we get this stuff done?' And we'll work together."

Trump indicated he did not expect to change the members of his Cabinet following the election.

Edited by:Sean Sinico

https://p.dw.com/p/5P2bb

Skip next section Fact check: No, fraudulent ballots were not discovered by the FBI in Houston

November 4, 2026

Fact check: No, fraudulent ballots were not discovered by the FBI in Houston

Claim: "Over twenty thousand fraudulent ballots uncovered in FBI raid of Houston storage locker warehouse all for Democrats," a viral post claimed on X, viewed more than 400,000 times, along with a photo of an FBI truck at a crime scene.

This claim is not true.

"That information is false and no election-related operation occurred," a Houston FBI public affairs officer told the AFP news agency.

The first image is clearly borrowed from a different news story. The truck says "FBI Atlanta," which is a city in the state of Georgia, and a reverse image search reveals that the photo is from an FBI raid of the Fulton County, Georgia, elections warehouse earlier this year.

The account that posted the fabricated story belongs to a comedian named Jonathan Gregory. His Twitter bio reads, "digital content creator for pro Trump administration" — it links to a Facebook page marked "comedian," with earlier posts advertising comedy shows.

Edited by:Sean Sinico

https://p.dw.com/p/5P2bL

Skip next section Fact check: Maine interpreters are allowed to help voters, contrary to fraud claims

November 4, 2026

Fact check: Maine interpreters are allowed to help voters, contrary to fraud claims

Claim: "A highly coordinated scheme to steal an election is happening in real time...," a right-wing media outlet said in a X post, viewed more than 600,000 times.

Attached was a CCTV video, showing a man helping people who appear to be Somali-American voters at the polling booth, flipping through papers, marking ballots, and speaking to them as they write.

If the video is authentic, nothing shown in it appears to be illegal. Maine’s election law expressly permits "assistance in reading or marking a ballot" because of a voter's "physical disability, illiteracy, or religious faith."

The Maine Secretary of State’s office told Snopes that the office hasn't received any credible reports of interpreters committing election fraud.

That hasn't stopped users from calling the practice a "blatant violation of state law" or claiming that Somalis were "rigging the election in broad daylight." The Maine Wire — the outlet that shared the video — has been accused in the past of harassing Somali voters at the polls.

Edited by:Dmytro Hubenko

https://p.dw.com/p/5P2a5

Skip next section Democrats gain control of the US Senate

November 4, 2026

Democrats gain control of the US Senate

Jenipher Camino Gonzalez

Democrats are projected to gain control of the Senate, according to AP data. The development could hand both houses of Congress to Trump's opponents, with Republicans losing in both battleground and traditionally Republican states. 

As the day ended, Democrats managed to flip Senate seats in at least six states, including shock wins in Texas, Kansas and South Carolina.

Many more statewide results are still expected, but for now, the midterm elections have changed the balance of power in Washington, in a major rebuke to Donald Trump.

Edited by:Dmytro Hubenko

https://p.dw.com/p/5P2Zy

Skip next section Democrats win in Kansas, in major blow to Trump

November 4, 2026

Democrats win in Kansas, in major blow to Trump

Jenipher Camino Gonzalez

Democrat and Methodist megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton pulled off a stunning upset in the state of Kansas, defeating Republican Senator Roger Marshall.

The win flips another seat once believed to be safely Republican, after shock Democratic victories in states like South Carolina.

Hamilton's was historic victory, as Kansas Democrats had not won a Senate race in 94 years.

To win, Hamilton ran as a centrist, seeking to appeal to moderate Republicans and independent voters, frustrated with the rising cost of living and unhappy with Trump's handling of the economy and the war with Iran.

The Democrat managed to raise more money than Marshall, as he received from Kansas residents and Democratic groups, which poured tens of millions of dollars into the state.

Republicans attempted to rescue Marshall's campaign, with Trump flying to Kansas to hold two rallies in October.

Edited by:Dmytro Hubenko

https://p.dw.com/p/5P2Zs

Skip next section Democrat James Talarico wins Texas Senate seat

November 4, 2026

Democrat James Talarico wins Texas Senate seat

Democrat James Talarico won the Texas US Senate race, defeating President Donald Trump-backed Republican Ken Paxton, according to AP data.

The win was monumental for Democrats who had not won a Senate election in Texas in 38 years. Talarico's win also moves Democrats closer to clinching control of the Senate.

Trump carried Texas by 14% in 2024. He endorsed Paxton, the Texas attorney general, despite the fact that he was at ​the ‌center of many controversies, including a 2023 impeachment and a securities fraud case.

Talarico, a four-term state legislator, overcame a flood of heavy outside spending, in what became ‌the ​most expensive Senate race of the cycle. Billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk poured over $200 million in support of Paxton's campaign.

Supporters of the Talarico campaign in Austin, Texas were jubilant, DW correspondent Mischa Komadovsky reported.

The night was a political earthquake in Texas, as Democrat Gina Hinojosa captured the governorship, unseating incumbent Governor Greg Abbott.

The 52-year-old attorney and state lawmaker, courted independents and voters disillusioned by Trump's unpopular war in Iran and skyrocketing prices.

The two victories could signal that Texas, the country's second most populous state could become competitive in national elections.

Texas has long been a safe Republican state in presidential elections, with 40 electoral votes. A shift to Democrats could reshape the electoral map for president in the future.

Edited by:Dmytro Hubenko

https://p.dw.com/p/5P2ZJ

Skip next section Democrat Amy Acton beats Ramaswamy for Ohio governor

November 4, 2026

Democrat Amy Acton beats Ramaswamy for Ohio governor

Amy Acton will be the first woman to become Ohio governor after defeating Donald Trump-backed Republican Vivek Ramaswamy.

Acton's win also ends 16 years of Republicans holding the Midwestern state's top post.

Acton, a public health physician and former state health director during the COVID-19 pandemic, beat biotech billionaire Ramaswamy, who had run for the 2024 presidential election. 

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that Acton was the first Democrat to hold the Ohio governorship. She is the second Democrat elected to the Ohio governor's office in 35 years. We apologize for the error.

Edited by:Dmytro Hubenko

https://p.dw.com/p/5P2ZD

Skip next section Trump reacts to Democratic gains, says he was 'not on the ballot'

November 4, 2026

Trump reacts to Democratic gains, says he was 'not on the ballot'

Jenipher Camino Gonzalez

US President Donald Trump spoke for the first time about the ongoing election results, as sweeping Democratic victories continued.

Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that the Republican Party would have won in a "landslide" if he had been running, appearing to distance himself from the results, implying that the election was not related to his performance as president.

"I wasn't on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE! Thank you for your attention to this matter," Trump said.

Edited by:Dmytro Hubenko

https://p.dw.com/p/5P2Z6

Skip next section Democrats stun Republicans with Senate win in South Carolina

November 4, 2026

Democrats stun Republicans with Senate win in South Carolina

Democrat Annie Andrews has narrowly beaten Republican Darline Graham, in one of the biggest upsets of election night so far, according to AP projections.

Graham, who was hand-picked by US President Donald Trump, was seeking to take over from her brother, Lindsey Graham, after he suddenly died this year.

Andrews' victory is particularly notable because Graham had prevailed by nearly 18 percentage points two years ago.

Andrews' win and that of Roy Cooper in neighboring North Carolina mean the Democratic Party has secured two of the four seats it needs to gain a majority in the Senate.

Edited by:Dmytro Hubenko

https://p.dw.com/p/5P2Vk

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