Winners and losers of 2026 US Midterms

The midterms are also a loss for Vice President JD Vance, who is likely to launch a 2028 presidential campaign.

Americans brought about a ‘blue tsunami’ in this year’s midterm election as Democrats won control of the US Congress by a landslide.

Here are some of the winners and losers in this year’s US midterm elections.

The blue party is the primary winner of the election. It won twin victories in the House and Senate, securing full control of Congress after suffering a devastating defeat in the 2024 presidential election.

The Democratic Party is estimated to have won a Senate majority, with 54 seats to 44 for the Republicans as of the time of this report. In the House, the Democrats have 245 seats to 145 for the Republicans.

They flipped six Republican-held Senate seats, winning races in Texas, Ohio, Kansas, Iowa, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

The election gives Democrats the power to hamstring President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda. They can scrutinise executive decisions and challenge the administration’s priorities.

The Democratic rout in the midterm election reflects American dissatisfaction with Mr Trump.

The poll has been described as a historic rebuke on a scale not seen since 1974, as Democrats won places they hadn’t carried in decades.

Celebrations spread across many parts of the country and social media, especially over certain historic wins.

For instance, Abdul El-Sayed’s win in Michigan was celebrated wildly among his supporters. When he took the stage to mark his victory, the crowd gave deafening cheers and phones were held up to capture this moment of history.

Mr El-Sayed is the first Muslim man elected to the Senate.

The former public health administrator campaigned on a left-wing platform that included universal health care and a wealth tax on billionaires.

Observers said Americans voted for candidates whose campaigns centered on economic affordability, healthcare, immigration, and political accountability.

Although not on the ballot, the victory also benefits former President Barack Obama. It validates his political legacy and enduring influence as a Democratic strategic leader.

Mr Obama campaigned actively for candidates in the final weeks of the race. His presence as the Democratic Party’s most formidable orator raised anti-incumbent sentiment.

Observers describe the decision to deploy Mr Obama in the campaign as a calculated gamble. The former president maintained a selective public profile until the final weeks.

Mr Obama has also opposed the policies of the Trump administration, particularly its foreign policy adventures in the Middle East.

“This election is our last, best chance of at least reining him in, reining in some of the foolishness of this administration. It is the circuit-breaker in the system, and we need to flip it,” he said during campaigns in Georgia last month.

The midterm result vindicated outgoing Kentucky congressman Thomas Massie and former Georgia Representative Marjorie Greene.

The two Republicans were allies of Mr Trump during his re-election campaign but became his outspoken critics based on the policies he implemented. They vehemently opposed the war in Iran, the administration’s foreign military interventions, and the rising cost of living that they say the president has neglected.

They also joined forces to push for the release of the Epstein files, and both paid a political price for breaking ranks.

Ms Greene resigned from Congress in January after a falling-out with the president, and Mr Massie lost his primary in May to a Trump-backed challenger.

The midterm election has left the Iranian government gloating. Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf said the results showed Americans were opposed to war.

“Conscience or the cost of living, Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message.

“If the US govt betrays their public will to serve international paymasters and blackmailers, it will learn our NO comes with a Nightmare,” Mr Ghalibaf wrote on X.

Although the US and Iran are still technically at war, intense fighting has been halted as both sides claim control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Mr Trump had threatened to resume attacks on Iran after the midterms but his plans could be derailed by the massive Republican loss.

Democrats rode the wave of voter dissatisfaction with the US war against Iran. As such, control of Congress could affect Mr Trump’s ability to sustain the war in the Middle East.

Although the president retains considerable authority as commander-in-chief, Congress can use its budgetary powers to restrict, condition or refuse additional funding for particular military activities.