Democrats Retake US Senate as Republicans Suffer Stunning Midterm Defeat

The update

Democrats retook control of the United States Senate as voters delivered a stunning midterm defeat to President Donald Trump’s Republican Party. Democrats won seats in former Republican strongholds: Kansas elected a Democrat for the first time since 1932, Texas for the first time since 1988, and South Carolina for the first time since 1998. Democrats are also widely expected to take control of the House of Representatives. Trump, who had urged supporters to pretend he was on the ballot, wrote that he was not on the ballot and Republicans would have won in a landslide if he had been. He told The New York Times he was willing to accept the results and work with Democrats.

Why it matters

The vote was widely seen as a referendum on Trump’s second term. Concerns over the cost of living, rising fuel prices and an unpopular war with Iran loomed large, and Trump’s approval rating had slumped to record lows. Al Jazeera reported Republican internal polling had failed to anticipate the scale of potential losses in both chambers. A Democratic Senate, and possibly House, would reshape Trump’s final two years, affecting legislation, oversight and policy abroad.

What to watch

Watch the final House count, whether Trump follows through on working with Democrats, and how a changed Congress handles spending, the war with Iran and foreign aid.

Sources

• theguardian.com — confirms the Senate retake, the state flips, and Trump’s reaction
• aljazeera.com — confirms a worse-than-expected Republican performance in both chambers

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