Despite some races still uncalled, results show that Democrats made historic gains deep in some Republican strongholds, flipping Senate and House seats that Republicans had held for decades and, in some cases, nearly a century.
Thirty-five Senate seats and all 435 voting seats in the House were up for grabs in this election. As of Nov. 7, results showed that Democrats had secured 54 seats in the Senate, a net gain of seven, and 254 seats in the House, a net gain of 42.
James Talarico routed Ken Paxton in Texas, becoming the state’s first Democratic senator-elect in 38 years.
Democrats also made history in South Carolina by flipping a Senate seat. The party had never won a U.S. Senate race there this century. That historical blip could also happen in Mississippi, where a Black senator is expected to win the first Senate seat since Reconstruction.
In Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton defeated Republican incumbent Roger Marshall. Democrats last won a Senate seat in Kansas in 1932, during the Great Depression.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance admitted the Iran war was a major reason for the Republicans’ extraordinary defeat.
After the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28, Iran said it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, a major waterway through which the equivalent of about 20 per cent of global oil consumption passed before the war. The disruption drove up energy prices globally.
U.S. diesel and gasoline prices were the highest ever recorded on an election day, according to price tracker GasBuddy.
The national average gasoline price was US$2.98 per gallon when the war began, according to AAA figures. With the war still ongoing more than eight months later, the U.S. Energy Information Administration put the national average for regular gasoline at US$4.15 per gallon for the week of Nov. 2.
High diesel prices can push up the cost of goods because farms, fishing boats, trucks and trains rely on diesel.
Nearly nine in 10 voters said the cost of living was a crucial or major factor in their vote, according to SSRS exit polling reported by Reuters.
The AP Voter Poll showed young voters turned their backs on Republicans in the election, erasing the gains Trump had made in the 2024 presidential election. Voters under 30 shifted toward Democrats by double digits in nearly all major Senate races compared with two years earlier.
It was a similar story in House races across the country. The AP survey of more than 100,000 midterm voters found about three-quarters of voters under 30 supported their local Democratic candidate, while about one-quarter voted for the Republican candidate.
Trump’s tariffs, including those on Canadian goods, also added to the cost of living for Americans.
While the Democratic win is a huge blow to Trump’s agenda, he still has the power to veto bills passed by the Democratic-controlled Congress. If he vetoes a bill, Congress needs a two-thirds majority in each chamber to override the veto.
The power shift could put more pressure on Trump to end the U.S. war with Iran. But his administration could still escalate the situation before the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3.
According to Axios, Trump has three options for dealing with Iran, all of which carry risks. The first is to resume major strikes, a move that would be unpopular and could keep fuel prices high. Another is to negotiate. But if Iranians refuse to make concessions because they sense weakness after Trump’s political loss, he could have a hard time reaching a deal.
The third is to continue the naval blockade and sanctions against Tehran in the hope that the Iranian government will ultimately concede. This option could take months to show progress.
It appears Trump opted for the first option as the U.S. carried out a limited strike on Qeshm Island in southern Iran on Friday.
Trump told reporters Friday evening that Iran had built an anti-aircraft device and that U.S. forces had “knocked it out.” He also said the U.S. was negotiating with Iran to reach a deal to end the war.
Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods were a factor in races in states such as Maine and Michigan, the Canadian Press reported. When Democrats take control of Congress, they may introduce legislation to rein in those tariffs, but Trump can still veto it.
Beth Burke, CEO of the Canadian American Business Council, said in a statement that members of the new Congress would take office at a “critical moment for the U.S.-Canada relationship.” She said reducing tariffs would lower costs for businesses on both sides of the border and help bring down prices for consumers in the U.S. and Canada.
