Democrats won a decisive series of battleground races for control of the U.S. House and Senate on Tuesday night, denying President Donald Trump a second term. The party’s victories, including double-digit margins in some districts that Trump won just two years ago, exceeded its highest expectations and marked a historic election night.
Democrats score major victories across the country
Democrats pulled off what may have been the biggest upset in Texas. James Talarico defeated scandal-plagued Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton, while Gina Hinojosa defeated Greg Abbott in the governor’s race. The results came despite billionaire Elon Musk spending millions on behalf of the Republican Party. No Democrat had won a statewide election in Texas since 1994.
Democrats also captured key Senate races in Kansas, South Carolina, Iowa and North Carolina, while holding on to seats in Georgia and New Hampshire, according to the Associated Press.
White House officials blame economic pressures and Iran war
At the White House, Trump officials told WIRED that high gas prices and rising living costs caused by the Iran war were the main reasons for the Republican Party’s widespread losses.
“If there’s anything good that comes out of tonight for the Republican Party, it’s that a Republican president will never listen to idiots like Mark Levin and Mark Thiessen again,” a source close to the White House said, referring to the two commentators who urged Trump to extend the Iran war.
Some officials, speaking candidly on condition of anonymity, privately blamed the president for embroiling the United States in a Middle East conflict. They said Trump mistakenly believes the war will end within weeks, even as it continues without a clear conclusion.
Latino voters shift away from Trump coalition
Exit polls showed large-scale defections from other parts of the coalition that supported Trump in 2024. The losses were particularly significant as Latino voters moved toward Democrats while the administration pursued brutal and unpopular immigration policies.
“While President Trump is not on the ballot, there is evidence that Trump supporters show up when President Trump is on the ballot,” White House officials said in a statement.
“Candidate qualifications also matter, and President Trump has done a better job of promoting many of the candidates on the ballot than the candidates themselves,” the official added.
Source: www.wired.com