Democrats wrest control of U.S Senate from Republicans

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(The Center Square) – Democrats have flipped five of the six U.S. Senate seats that were rated as toss-ups by election forecasters, in addition to South Carolina, surpassing the 51-seat majority they need to take back the control of the chamber.

Heading into the election, Republicans held a 53-47 majority, and Democrats needed a net gain of four seats to take control of the chamber. 

Thirty-five seats were up for reelection, with forecasters increasingly shifting their assessments of Senate control in Democrats' favor as Election Day neared. 

Alaska, Kansas, Iowa, Ohio, Maine and Texas were among the most closely watched contests, with the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rating all six as toss-ups. Decision Desk HQ also included South Carolina among its competitive races.

Democrats won Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas — five traditionally Republican states, several of which had not elected a Democratic U.S. senator in decades. After midnight Eastern Wednesday morning, longtime Maine U.S. Sen. Susan Collins conceded to Democratic candidate Troy Jackson, with roughly 70% of votes in and Jackson leading 53% to 47%. The race had not yet been officially called but Collins' concession means another Democratic win. 

In Kansas, Methodist pastor and Democrat Adam Hamilton defeated Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, becoming the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from the state since 1932. In Texas, Democratic state Rep. James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, delivering the state's first Democratic Senate victory since 1988.

Democrats also broke decades-long Republican winning streaks in South Carolina and Iowa. In South Carolina, Democrat Annie Andrews defeated Republican Darline Graham, sister of deceased U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, and in Iowa, four-time paralympian Josh Turek defeated Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson. In Ohio, former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown defeated Republican Sen. Jon Husted, returning to the chamber after losing his reelection bid in 2024.

In Michigan, a state which was rated a toss-up until just days before Election Day, former Wayne County health director Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic Socialist accused of being antisemitic, led former Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan Wednesday morning, 51% to 47%, with approximately 43% of the expected vote counted.

Alaska is the last to be counted, as its polls didn't close until midnight Eastern time.

The elections come amid a difficult political environment for Republicans, with President Donald Trump's approval rating hovering near historic lows and voters expressing widespread dissatisfaction with the cost of living.

Just 32% of Americans approved of Trump's job performance in a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Monday, while Democrats held an eight-percentage-point advantage over Republicans on the generic congressional ballot among registered voters.

Economic concerns have figured prominently in the campaign, particularly inflation, rising energy prices and the effects of tariffs and the war with Iran.

Campaign spending in the 2026 midterm elections was projected to approach a record $12 billion, according to OpenSecrets, a nonprofit organization that tracks money in politics.

Democratic candidates were expected to spend more than $2.2 billion, compared with $1.4 billion by Republicans, although Republican-aligned outside groups had outspent their Democratic counterparts by nearly $400 million.

Texas was among the most expensive contests, with more than $500 million spent by candidates and outside groups.

Early voting reached record levels, with more than 57 million Americans casting ballots before Election Day, according to the University of Florida Election Lab.

Several competitive Senate states reported particularly strong turnout, including in Texas, where more than 7.7 million ballots were cast early. Democratic voters have historically been more likely than Republicans to cast their ballots early, although Republicans increasingly encouraged their supporters to vote ahead of Election Day.