Tuesday’s midterm elections laid bare voters’ deep frustrations over high prices, the Iran war, and concerns over government corruption. Democrats routed their rivals across the map, flipping states that have voted Republican for decades and that Trump won by double digits just two years ago.
President Donald Trump repeatedly encouraged voters to pretend he was on the midterm ballot. They did. And it’s hard to imagine a worse outcome for the Republican President and his party.
Voters absolutely punished Trump’s allies almost everywhere. Democrats won in swing states like Georgia, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and in Republican strongholds of Iowa, Kansas, Texas, and even South Carolina. Trump’s controversial mid-decade redistricting plan appeared to backfire.
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Republican losses allowed Democrats to make history in Georgia, where Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor in U.S. history, while in Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa became its first Latina governor.
Voters nationwide were in the mood for change, according to The AP Voter Poll, which found that roughly three-quarters of voters feel “angry” or “dissatisfied” with the direction of the country.
Among those who had Trump in mind when they cast their vote, about twice as many wanted to express opposition to the Republican President as those who wanted to support him. Most also blamed the Trump administration for high costs: about 6 in 10 say higher than usual prices are “more because of Trump’s policies.”
Trump’s coalition was also fraying: Young voters dramatically shifted away from the GOP after warming to Trump in 2024, while the GOP also lost ground among Hispanics.
With undeniable momentum, Democrats won control of the House and Senate, which will likely curb Trump’s power after he’s faced few limits from a compliant Republican-controlled Congress.
Beyond control of Congress, the extent of these losses could reshape both parties for at least the next two years, as the political world rushes into a new presidential election.
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