Democrats Win Senate, End Republican Dominance In House. Trump Posts "Veto"
Democrats Win Senate, End Republican Dominance In House. Trump Posts "Veto"
M.U.H
04/11/20269
Washington: Democrats have retaken control of the US Senate, delivering a decisive rebuke of Republican control of governance in Washington and ushering in a new era of congressional resistance to President Donald Trump. The blue wave has also taken over the House, with Democrats crossing the majority mark of 218, giving the opposition the power to block Trump's legislative agenda and launch sweeping investigations of his administration during the final two years of his presidency.
The elections were a nationwide verdict on Trump's turbulent second term, with discontent over living costs, tariffs and the US war against Iran -- which has driven fuel prices sharply higher -- weighing on Republicans as his approval ratings languish near record lows.
Republicans losing the House gives Democrats the power to stall Trump's legislative agenda and launch sweeping investigations of his administration. A Senate defeat would threaten his ability to appoint Supreme Court justices and senior officials.
Democratic control of the Senate will profoundly reshape Trump's final two years in office and likely hamstring his ability to push his agenda, including his hopes for sustaining a conservative shift to the Supreme Court.
Trump has promised he would use his veto power to block Democrats' agenda, forecasting the potential for gridlock in Washington. Taking to his Truth Social platform, Trump posted a photo of a red Republican cap with 'Veto' written on it.
How Many Seats Are Up For Grabs?
All 435 House seats and 35 of the 100 Senate seats are at stake, along with governorships in 36 states. Democrats need only three House gains and a net four seats in the Senate to wrest both chambers from Republican hands.
As the first polls began closing in Kentucky and Indiana, House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters in Washington that the country was "on the brink of a dramatic change of direction."
"We're on the brink of Democrats taking back control of the House of Representatives," he predicted.
Decision Desk HQ's final forecast projected 241 House seats for Democrats against 194 for Republicans and a narrower 52-48 Democratic Senate majority.
Major Wins for Democrats
The latest tally shows the Democrats have won 53 seats in the Senate, wresting a majority from Republicans' hand. In the House, the blue wave has washed over 220 seats, passing the 218 control mark.
Seven Senate seats and two dozen in the House have flipped toward Democrats. It's the first time in decades that Texas, Kansas and South Carolina have elected Democratic senators. Democrats also flipped seats in North Carolina and Ohio. Democrats Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia, Amy Acton in Ohio, Rod Sand in Iowa and Gina Hinojosa in Texas won races for governor, flipping GOP-held offices.
In an upset that many analysts did not see coming, Democratic nominee JD Ford has defeated three-term Republican Victoria Spartz in Indiana's 5th Congressional District. The Democratic pickup comes in a district that Trump won by nearly 17 percentage points two years ago.
Ford is the first openly gay member of the Indiana General Assembly. Spartz is the first and only Ukrainian-born member of Congress. The defeat demonstrates the Democratic Party's success this election cycle, breaking through not just in the nation's traditional battleground districts but in several deep red ones as well.
Incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins conceded earlier to Troy Jackson in Maine Senate race, ending her run for a sixth term. Democrats considered defeating Collins as key to winning control of the US Senate, and she was one of Republicans' most threatened incumbents this year.
Trump's Reaction
While Trump urged voters to pretend he was on the ballot, most appear to blame his administration for high costs and want Congress to impose more checks on him, according to The AP Voter Poll.
Trump tried to shift the blame away from himself during a Fox News interview that aired early Wednesday, saying Democrats “did a good job” in their campaigns and blaming GOP candidates for losses.
