Blue wave swept much of America, but not here
The gist
Democrats won both the Senate and House and flipped governorships across several states in the 2026 midterms.
The scale of the swing, even in Trump-won areas, is what analysts are weighing.
How it unfolded
- Nov 3, 2026Voters went to the polls. Democrats flipped three US House seats in Pennsylvania and led in a fourth, flipped two in New Jersey, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul won by a double-digit margin.
- Nov 3, 2026Democrat James Talarico won the Texas Senate race by 12 points overall and by 60 points among Gen Z voters, a group Democrats carried by nearly 50 points.
- Nov 4, 2026As of Wednesday morning Democrats had secured both the Senate and House plus several state governments; GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson reportedly conceded the majority Tuesday night.
Key terms
- midterms
- US general elections held near the midpoint of a president's four-year term, when all House seats and about a third of Senate seats are contested.
- governorships
- The office or position of a state governor, the chief executive of a U.S. state.
- red wave
- An election in which the Democratic Party makes major gains, named after the blue color associated with Democrats.
Source: Wikipedia