Democrats Sweep Senate in Crucial Midterm

By Jeremy Coolidge ’28

Democrats saw major victories at nearly every level of government Tuesday night. Americans headed to the polls in what was already shaping up to be a favorable year for Democrats, largely due to recent decisions by the Trump administration. These included ongoing military escalations in Iran, which have contributed to rising gas prices, and increased ICE activity, which has further alienated many Latino communities as residents grow increasingly fearful of immigration enforcement. Many pollsters predicted Democrats would gain a majority in the House of Representatives, and some even forecast a Senate majority. However, polls appeared to have widely underestimated Democratic support across the country.

The first major race called was in North Carolina, where former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper was running for Senate. He won the seat by nearly 20 points against former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley. Shortly afterward, Republican incumbent Senator Ashley Moody defeated Democratic nominee and Democratic Socialists of America member Angie Nixon. Nixon came within approximately three points of victory, outperforming Kamala Harris’s 2024 results in Florida by around seven points.

In Maine, former state Senate President Troy Jackson, who replaced nominee Graham Platner after numerous sexual assault allegations emerged against him, defeated five-term incumbent Susan Collins. Collins has historically outperformed polls and Republican candidates nationally, even in a state Trump lost by approximately seven points. In South Carolina, Dr. Annie Andrews defeated Darline Graham Nordone, the brother of late Senator Lindsey Graham, who passed away this summer. This was a major upset, as South Carolina has traditionally been a heavily Republican state.

“I see that Darlin lost, wow,” President Trump said in a phone interview with The New York Times while watching the live results. He also reiterated to the newspaper that Republicans would have “won in a landslide” if he had been on the ballot.

One of the most expensive and highly anticipated races of the year was the Senate election in Texas, where state representative and pastor James Talarico faced off against scandal-ridden Ken Paxton. Talarico flipped Texas blue for the first time since 1988, carrying the state by 12 points. Democrats also won every statewide elected position, including the governorship, along with multiple congressional races and control of the state House of Representatives. Democrats have not won the state by such a wide margin since Texas was a reliably blue state in the late twentieth century. In Kansas, Adam Hamilton was elected to the Senate, defeating another scandal-ridden incumbent, Roger Marshall.

In Ohio, former Senator Sherrod Brown was elected to the Senate seat formerly held by J.D. Vance. Brown lost his reelection bid in 2024 but ran a successful campaign this time around after being recruited by Chuck Schumer. In Iowa, moderate Democratic state representative Josh Tureck defeated Representative Ashley Hinson for the Senate seat vacated by Joni Ernst.

Senate candidates in New Hampshire, Michigan, Georgia, Minnesota, and several other states maintained their seats by sizable margins. Votes are still being counted in Alaska, where ranked-choice voting is used and polls closed at 1 a.m. EST on Wednesday. Currently, former Democratic Congresswoman Mary Peltola is leading incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan.

Votes are also being counted in Mississippi, where Democrat Scott Colom is leading incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith by less than one percentage point, with 96% of the vote counted. If Colom wins, it will be a major upset and an incredible achievement for Democrats this year. If Alaska and Mississippi both go to the Democrats, they will have a 55-45 majority in the Senate.

Democrats also face a major decision about the future of their party leadership in the Senate and whether to keep the increasingly unpopular Schumer as majority leader. Several senators have pledged to support a different leader in hopes of improving the party’s management.

There is certainly a lot for these fifty-five men and women to consider when they take their seats in the Senate in January. They have made numerous promises to the American people, and they will have to follow through on them over the next six years. Never let anyone tell you that voting does not change anything, because it does. Go vote, and stay informed.