Democrats take control of both houses of Congress in midterm elections, a rebuke of Trump

Summary

Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the 2026 US midterm elections, a result Middle East Eye and The Guardian describe as a major rebuke of President Donald Trump's policy agenda. Middle East Eye reports that Democrats gained 25 House seats and had secured 220 by early Wednesday, above the 218 needed for a majority, and that Hakeem Jeffries is likely to become speaker. It says Democrats picked up at least seven Senate seats for a 53-seat majority, which would let them block Trump's judicial nominees and funding for the US-Israeli war on Iran. The Guardian reports that Democrats flipped both chambers and examines what the majorities could do over the final two years of Trump's presidency. Trump wrote on X that he was not on the ballot and that if he had been, his party would have won "IN A LANDSLIDE", and he told the Wall Street Journal that the Iran war was partly to blame. Middle East Eye reports the Iran war as a factor in the result. The Guardian's live coverage reports that Democrats' lead in the Mississippi Senate race grew, with Scott Colom ahead of Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith by 1,138 votes with 96% of the vote counted, and that Wall Street rose at the open after the results, with the Dow up 2%.

Timeline

1. Middle East Eye

   4 Nov 2026, 05:17 UTCSource ↗

   Middle East Eye reports that Democrats wrested control of the Senate and House from Republicans, with 220 House seats secured by early Wednesday and at least seven Senate seats picked up for a 53-seat majority.

2. The Guardian

   4 Nov 2026, 16:23 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that Democrats have taken back the House and Senate in a massive rebuke of Republicans and Trump's agenda, and asks what a congressional majority would let them do in Trump's final two years.

3. The Guardian

   4 Nov 2026, 23:36 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian's live coverage reports that Democrats' lead in the Mississippi Senate race grew as the Republican blame game began, and that Wall Street surged at the open after Democrats' midterm victories.