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Washington: Democrats have seized control of both chambers of the US Congress in a “blue tsunami” at the midterm elections that deprives President Donald Trump and his Republicans of their legislative power and begins a turning of the page on the Trump era.
The Democrats, who only needed three more seats to gain control of the House, were projected to gain upwards of 20, as Americans rebelled against an unpopular president and his war in Iran, as well as higher petrol and grocery prices caused in part by that conflict.
While flipping the House was expected, it was the Democrats’ gains in the Senate – particularly Texas, and South Carolina in the deep south – that underlined the party’s surge and the widespread swing against the Republicans at the mid-point of Trump’s second term.
Democrats also won the Senate race in Kansas, a state that had not sent a Democrat to the US Senate in 94 years. They gained seats in Ohio and Iowa, giving them enough to take control of that chamber, too. The Associated Press called the Senate for the Democrats at 11.35pm Washington time.
Control of Congress will enable Democrats to investigate alleged corruption in the Trump administration, the war in Iran and members of Trump’s family, or begin impeachment proceedings against defence secretary Pete Hegseth or the president himself.
It means Hakeem Jeffries is set to become the first black Speaker of the House of Representatives, while Keisha Lance Bottoms won the gubernatorial election in Georgia, making her the first black woman elected governor of an American state.
“Today begins the great American comeback,” Jeffries said at his election night party in Washington. “From sea to shining sea, the American people have spoken and made clear they’ve had enough of the extremism, enough of the corruption.”
Political scientist Bob Shapiro said it was at least the biggest blue wave since Democrats swept Republicans out of Congress in 2006 towards the end of the Bush administration.
“Its political and policy implications are of grave proportions in terms of the power it gives the Democrats to thwart Trump,” he said.
Trump, having spent the campaign asking conservatives to pretend he was on the ballot in a bid to drive up turnout among MAGA supporters, distanced himself from the results following the rout.
“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,” he posted on Truth Social.
But the president told The New York Times he accepted the people’s verdict and would work with Democrats in Congress.
“I am absolutely willing to accept those results,” he told the Times. “We’ll work with the Democrats, and we’ll, you know, look forward to working with them. We’ll probably work something out.”
Republicans were caught up in the blue wave up and down the ballot, with Republican governor of Texas Greg Abbott turfed out of office. Texas has not elected a Democratic governor in more than 30 years.
Democrat Amy Acton defeated Vivek Ramaswamy to become governor of Ohio, after the Republican shocked America with a TV advertisement that featured Acton’s estranged mother calling her a liar.
In Florida, Democrats held on to several House seats that Republicans attempted to gerrymander by redrawing the boundaries in their favour.
Michael Koziol is the North America correspondent for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Sydney editor, Sun-Herald deputy editor and a federal political reporter in Canberra.Connect via X or email.