Democrats scored a major breakthrough in the US midterm elections, flipping a Republican-held Senate seat in North Carolina and winning key contests in Georgia and New Hampshire, as early results pointed to growing resistance to President Donald Trump’s leadership.
Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper defeated Trump-backed Republican Michael Whatley, securing a crucial seat for Democrats in their battle to regain control of the Senate. The victory marks a significant setback for Republicans in a state that backed Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff also won re-election in Georgia, defeating Republican challenger Mike Collins, while Chris Pappas retained New Hampshire’s open Senate seat for the party by defeating former Senator John Sununu.
The results have strengthened Democratic hopes of breaking the Republican grip on Congress during the final two years of Trump’s presidency. However, control of both chambers remained uncertain as votes continued to be counted across several states.
The House of Representatives appeared increasingly favourable to Democrats, while the Senate contest remained closely fought.
Republicans entered the elections with a 53-47 Senate majority. Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control of the chamber, while three additional seats would give them a House majority.
Republicans Face Unexpected Resistance in Florida
Florida delivered another surprise for Democrats, with the party holding three House constituencies that Republican lawmakers had redrawn earlier this year to improve their electoral prospects.
All three districts had supported Trump by at least nine percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.
Republican Senator Ashley Moody, however, defeated Democratic challenger Angie Nixon in the state’s Senate contest. Moody’s victory came despite a much narrower margin than Trump’s 13-point win in Florida two years ago.
The results suggested that Republicans were struggling to translate Trump’s previous electoral advantage into support for candidates in several key contests.
The election has turned into a crucial test of public opinion on Trump’s second presidency, with economic pressures, rising fuel prices and the administration’s policies emerging as major voter concerns.
Exit polls conducted by SSRS for a consortium of US media organisations, including major television networks and the Associated Press, showed widespread dissatisfaction with the country’s direction.
Around half of voters said they viewed the midterm elections as an opportunity to rebuke Trump. Three-quarters described themselves as angry or dissatisfied with the way the country was heading.
About 70% also said they wanted Congress to exercise greater checks and balances on the president.
The findings could provide Democrats with political momentum as they seek to challenge Trump’s legislative agenda and increase scrutiny of his administration.
Trump Faces Political Test as Democrats Seek Congressional Control
The results represent an early warning for Republicans, who have historically struggled to retain congressional seats during midterm elections.
Since World War Two, the party holding the White House has lost ground in Congress in all but two midterm elections.
Trump’s approval ratings have been hovering near their lowest levels, with voters expressing frustration over the war with Iran, higher energy costs, tariffs and broader affordability concerns.
Republicans, led by Trump, sought to portray Democratic candidates as radical and out of touch with American voters. Democrats rejected those accusations and focused their campaigns on the cost of living and the president’s performance.
Trump held more than two dozen campaign rallies since the beginning of October, largely in states he had comfortably won in 2024, underscoring the Republican effort to protect its electoral position.
The election also drew scrutiny over the federal government’s role in monitoring voting. The Justice Department said it had deployed 1,000 election monitors and observers across all 50 states, describing it as the largest Election Day monitoring exercise in US history.
Democrats criticised the deployment, warning that federal monitoring could intimidate voters. Officials in several states reported no major problems, although New Mexico authorities said they had received complaints about federal monitors asking unusual questions in one county.
Meanwhile, the Senate race in Alaska became embroiled in controversy following allegations that Democratic candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign helped recruit an independent candidate with the same first and last name as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan.
Peltola denied involvement. The Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into the allegations and filed a lawsuit seeking to block certification of the results. A judge dismissed the lawsuit.
With several important contests still being counted, the final composition of Congress remained unclear. But the early victories in North Carolina, Georgia and New Hampshire have put Democrats in a stronger position and intensified pressure on Trump as he approaches the second half of his presidency.