Democratic Party flips US Senate in 2026 midterm elections — SkimNews
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- Democratic Party secured at least 51 of the Senate’s 100 seats, enough for a majority, with a handful of races still being counted.
- Roy Cooper defeated Republican rival Michael Whatley in North Carolina, flipping a Republican-held Senate seat.
- James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in Texas, delivering the state’s first Democratic statewide election win since 1994.
- Adam Hamilton defeated Republican Senator Roger Marshall in Kansas, where Democrats had not won a Senate seat since 1932.
- Sherrod Brown defeated incumbent Republican Senator Jon Husted in Ohio, while Democrat Annie Andrews won South Carolina, where the last Democratic Senate victory came in 1998.
- Jon Ossoff won reelection in Georgia, while Mark Warner won a fourth term in Virginia, as Democrats defended multiple seats.
- Republican Party lost control of the Senate, ending the trifecta it achieved in 2024 with the Senate, House and presidency.
Why it matters: Democrats needed a net gain of four seats and have secured at least 51, taking a chamber whose six-year, staggered terms made it harder to flip than the House. Republicans retain the House and presidency, so the 2024 Republican trifecta gives way to divided government.
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