The biggest winners and losers of the 2026 US midterms

Historic firsts, astonishment victories and costly defeats arsenic Democrats instrumentality power of Congress.

Democrats had a large nighttime successful Tuesday’s United States midterm elections, winning power of some chambers of Congress and pulling disconnected immoderate astonishing victories successful longtime Republican strongholds.

From turning Texas bluish to electing the country’s archetypal Muslim senator, determination were plentifulness of historical wins. But the nighttime besides brought immoderate large setbacks for US President Donald Trump and his allies, including 1 who spent hundreds of millions of dollars backing losing candidates.

Here’s a look astatine immoderate of the election’s biggest winners and losers.

The winners

Annie Andrews: In 1 of the astir astonishing wins of the night, Democrat Annie Andrews flipped a Republican-held Senate spot successful a profoundly blimpish South Carolina, beating retired the Trump-backed campaigner Darline Graham.

A paediatrician who campaigned connected healthcare and affordability, Andrews became the archetypal Democrat elected to the Senate from the authorities since 1998, and its archetypal elected pistillate senator. The triumph was a large breakthrough for Democrats and helped them instrumentality power of the Senate.

Abdul El-Sayed: Progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers successful Michigan, becoming the archetypal Muslim elected to the US Senate.

The erstwhile nationalist wellness authoritative overcame attacks connected his religion and a bitter superior conflict against establishment-backed Democrat Haley Stevens, who went connected to endorse Rogers. “You chose hatred and Michigan chose hope,” El-Sayed told Rogers successful his triumph speech.

Chuck Schumer: After facing disapproval from chap Democrats for not pushing backmost hard capable against Trump, arsenic good arsenic choler from progressives implicit his enactment for arms income to Israel, Senate Democratic person Chuck Schumer is present poised to reclaim his presumption arsenic bulk leader.

Schumer helped enlistee candidates including Sherrod Brown and Roy Cooper, who flipped Republican-held Senate seats. He celebrated the triumph connected Tuesday, saying, “We person 5 words for the American people: ‘Relief is connected the way’.”

James Talarico: After years of Democrats trying to crook Texas blue, James Talarico yet pulled disconnected a large upset by winning a US Senate spot successful a authorities Trump had carried by treble digits conscionable 2 years ago.

The 37-year-old erstwhile middle-school teacher, authorities legislator and Presbyterian seminarian gained nationalist attraction for utilizing his Christian religion to situation the spiritual right. But his run against Republican Ken Paxton besides focused connected the outgo of surviving and corruption, including the power of affluent donors similar Elon Musk, who supported Paxton.

Texas’s US Senator-elect James Talarico and Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa, some Democrats, cheer with drinks portion being surrounded by supporters astatine Whataburger successful Austin, Texas, the US, successful this representation released connected November 4, 2026 [Handout via Reuters]

The losers

Vivek Ramaswamy: Biotech billionaire and Trump state Vivek Ramaswamy lost Ohio’s governor’s race to Democrat Amy Acton successful airy of a arguable onslaught advertisement successful which Acton’s estranged parent accused her of lying astir her hard childhood.

What the advertisement near retired was that her parent mislaid custody aft Acton’s stepfather was indicted for raping her arsenic a child. The wide condemned advertisement dominated the last period of Ramaswamy’s campaign, with his squad yet pulling it aft spending astir $1m to support it running.

Haley Stevens: Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens ended up connected the losing broadside for the 2nd time, aft archetypal losing the Senate superior to Abdul El-Sayed, and past endorsing his Republican hostile Mike Rogers conscionable 2 days earlier the election.

Stevens broke with El-Sayed implicit his disapproval of Israel and an advertisement linking US subject assistance to rising market prices, which helium disavowed. El-Sayed won anyway, portion Stevens was near facing a backlash from Democrats and a question of resignations from her ain team.

Ohio Republican gubernatorial campaigner Vivek Ramaswamy speaks with property aft casting his ballot connected Election Day connected November 03, 2026 successful Columbus, Ohio [Michael M Santiago/Getty Images]

Elon Musk: The world’s richest antheral spent much than $400m backing Republicans, lone to spot them suffer some chambers of Congress. Among the candidates helium supported was Ken Paxton, who mislaid the Texas Senate contention to Democrat James Talarico.

Musk present faces imaginable legislature investigations into his enactment of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and his companies’ national contracts, with Democrats gaining the powerfulness to subpoena documents and adjacent telephone him to attest nether oath.

Donald Trump: Though Trump wasn’t connected the ballot, the midterms are a large stroke to the last 2 years of his presidency, with Democrats winning power of some chambers of Congress. Republican candidates backed by Trump mislaid Senate races successful longtime strongholds similar Texas and South Carolina.

The results mean Trump volition walk the remainder of his clip successful bureau facing a Democratic-controlled Congress with the powerfulness to artifact his legislative agenda, analyse his administration, and clasp his officials accountable for alleged malfeasance.