Democrats breach Republican strongholds; El-Sayed wins despite opposition to US policy on Israel
The trouncing of Republicans by Democrats in the US midterm elections, including Abdul El-Sayed's victory in Michigan, prompted US President Donald Trump to accept the people's mandate and recant his months-long campaign urging supporters to approach the elections as if he himself were on the ballot, only to claim that he was not on the ballot and that, if he had been, "we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE".
As a blue wave swept across the country, Democrats secured a string of stunning victories in traditionally Republican strongholds, retaking control of the Senate and positioning themselves to seize the House of Representatives, in what amounted to a sweeping rebuke of Trump's leadership, according to The Guardian.
Trump, who had spent the previous month holding 30 campaign rallies in an effort to shore up Republican support, told the New York Times that he was “absolutely willing to accept those results” and would be prepared to work with the opposition.
“We’ll probably work something out,” he said, striking a conciliatory note after an election campaign in which he had repeatedly portrayed Democratic candidates as radical, un-American and communist.
Michigan also emerged as a significant battleground, where progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed challenged Republican Mike Rogers, bringing renewed attention to divisions within the Democratic Party over US support for Israel and the growing discontent among sections of its voter base with Washington's Middle East policy.
The contest became particularly contentious after Haley Stevens, who had lost to El-Sayed in the Democratic primary, crossed party lines to endorse Rogers, while El-Sayed's candidacy carried historic significance as he stood a chance of becoming the first Muslim elected to the US Senate.
The results marked a historic reversal in several states that had long been regarded as Republican territory. Kansas elected Democrat Adam Hamilton to the Senate for the first time since 1932, Texas sent James Talarico to Washington after a Democratic drought stretching back to 1988, while South Carolina elected Annie Andrews, ending nearly three decades without a Democratic senator.
Democrats also secured victories in Georgia, where Jon Ossoff retained his Senate seat, and North Carolina, where former governor Roy Cooper defeated Trump-endorsed Republican Michael Whatley. Keisha Lance Bottoms made history as the first Black woman elected governor of Georgia, while Chris Pappas became the first openly gay man elected to the Senate in New Hampshire.
The political backlash appeared to have been fuelled less by Trump's ideological provocations than by voters' mounting economic anxieties, with the rising cost of living, soaring fuel prices and an unpopular war with Iran overshadowing the Republican campaign. The affordability message that had helped propel Trump to power in 2024 now seemed to have turned against him, as his approval ratings sank to record lows.
In Texas, Talarico's victory over Republican attorney general Ken Paxton ended his party's three-decade absence from statewide victories, despite an extraordinary financial campaign against him, including more than $150m in Republican support from billionaire Elon Musk.
Talarico, a religiously observant politician with an economic populist message, had focused on the consequences of Trump's tariffs and the war in Iran.
The Democratic gains extended to the House, where the party flipped five seats, three of them in Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state won by Trump in 2024. With all 435 House seats contested, Democrats appeared increasingly well placed to take control of the chamber.
A Democratic takeover of Congress could significantly constrain Trump's presidency, opening the door to investigations, challenges to presidential appointments and renewed impeachment efforts. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries could become the first Black speaker if his party secures control, having already promised an aggressive oversight agenda.