Democrats have won control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the 2026 US midterm elections, according to la Repubblica, which is tracking the results as they come in. The outlet reports that the party has secured the House with what looks like a commanding 244 seats and is ahead in the race for the Senate. President Donald Trump, after more than three hours of silence on social media, said he was willing to accept the outcome and would work with the Democrats.
Why it matters
The result reshapes the final two years of Trump's term. With both chambers in Democratic hands, the party's stated aim of putting obstacles in the way of the president's agenda becomes far more achievable, la Repubblica reports. It also means the legislative arithmetic in Washington changes overnight: a president who has relied on a friendly Congress now faces one controlled by the opposition.
Trump's own framing of the night, as reported by la Repubblica, was mixed. He told Fox News that he did not regard the Republican defeat as a blow aimed at him personally, arguing that his administration had delivered two strong years on the economy and other fronts. He also acknowledged that the Democrats had run a strong campaign, saying they had fought hard and that he sensed a certain mood in the country. "I shouldn't feel guilty," he added, according to the outlet.
Trump signals a veto strategy
The president made clear how he intends to govern alongside a Democratic Congress. In an interview with Fox News, he described the veto as one of the most powerful tools available to a president, saying that if lawmakers send him what he considers extreme legislation he will block it. After a couple of months of vetoes, he predicted, Democrats would come to him asking how to get things done, and the two sides would then work together. La Repubblica reports that he made similar remarks to CBS News before polls closed, describing the veto as a supreme power he was ready to use.
He also told Fox that he had received calls from five Democrats, and said part of the Republican loss came down to the fact that some voters in his Maga base simply did not like certain candidates. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, he said some Republican contenders had flaws that made them unacceptable to voters, naming Darline Graham in South Carolina and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who lost his Senate race to Democrat James Talarico. Trump said he had tried to help both and that they had worked hard, but neither prevailed.
According to la Repubblica, the president has no plans to change the leadership of his administration in response to the results. He told the Wall Street Journal that he continues to back Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who led the military effort against Iran, calling him fantastic. On Truth Social, Trump wrote that he would become a political commentator, for better or worse, on why candidates won and lost. He also used the platform to criticise Fox News, according to the outlet.
Senate gains and state-level races
La Repubblica, citing CNN, reports Democratic Senate victories in New Jersey, Rhode Island, Delaware, Illinois and Massachusetts. In Maine, Democrat Troy Jackson took a seat from the Republicans, bringing the party's Senate gains to seven, with the outgoing Republican senator, Susan Collins, conceding defeat. In Texas, Democrat James Talarico defeated Paxton and described his win in biblical terms, casting the people of Texas as his sling in a David-and-Goliath contest against wealthy and powerful opponents and the Washington establishment. "We took Texas back," he said, according to the outlet.
In Minnesota, Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar won re-election to the House, defeating Republican John Nagel. La Repubblica notes that Omar, who was born in Somalia, has been repeatedly criticised by Trump during her time in Congress. In Wisconsin, Democrat David Crowley became the state's new governor and the first Black person to hold its highest office, defeating Republican US Representative Tom Tiffany. Crowley had the backing of outgoing governor Tony Evers, which helped him win the August Democratic primary.
Voters also weighed in directly on abortion rights. La Repubblica reports that referendums in Virginia and Missouri protected the right to abortion, in another set of results that went against Trump's side. The outlet describes the overall night as more than a wave, quoting CNN's characterisation of a blue tsunami.
Trump followed the count from the East Room of the White House alongside members of his administration and his advisers, la Repubblica reports, moving between posts on Truth Social and phone interviews with broadcasters as the picture became clearer.
What to watch next is how quickly the new Democratic majorities organise themselves and which bills they send to the president's desk first, and whether Trump's promised vetoes turn into the negotiating dynamic he predicted or into a prolonged standoff.
