The 2026 midterms were widely seen as a verdict on President Donald Trump, and voters delivered a clear result: Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress. Democrats have won 54 Senate seats, including seven they flipped. In the House, Democrats have secured 228 seats after gaining 25, while Republicans have won 139.
Here are six of the night’s biggest surprises.
Susan Collins loses in Maine
Democratic challenger Troy Jackson, a fifth-generation logger, defeated Sen. Susan Collins in Maine. Jackson campaigned on abolishing ICE and creating a Medicare for All system, bringing an end to Collins’ nearly 30 years in the Senate.
Collins was known as a bipartisan moderate and had broken with Republicans on major votes, including President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and Trump’s second impeachment trial. She was Maine’s longest-serving member of Congress and chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee, a powerful role with influence over federal spending and projects in the state.
Jackson, a longtime figure in Maine politics, joined the race in July after former Democratic nominee Graham Platner withdrew. Platner faced allegations of sexual assault, which he denied, and controversy over old Reddit posts in which he disparaged poor White people and called himself a “communist.” He also faced criticism over a tattoo that resembled a Nazi symbol.
Abdul El-Sayed makes history in Michigan
Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan’s Senate race, becoming the first Muslim elected to the chamber. The former head of Detroit’s health department faced criticism from some Jewish voters and Democrats over his comments about Israel and his relationship with political streamer Hasan Piker.
In his victory speech, El-Sayed used the Arabic phrase “alhamdulillah,” meaning “praise be to God.” He also took aim at his defeated opponent, former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, saying Michigan had chosen hope over hate and that he hoped the state would not see another candidate like Rogers.
El-Sayed built his campaign around Medicare for All and removing corporate money from politics. He is not a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, but campaigned alongside prominent socialists, including Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
Trump campaigned with Rogers and warned that an El-Sayed victory would harm the country, claiming it would invite extremists into the United States and lead to violence and terror.
Greg Abbott loses Texas governor’s race
Democratic state representative Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, ending his more than decade-long run in office and 36 years of Republican control of the governor’s mansion.
Abbott had advanced conservative priorities including a major school voucher program, expanded gun rights, tighter border enforcement, abortion restrictions and property tax cuts. He focused his re-election campaign on keeping living costs down as affordability became a central issue for voters.
Hinojosa cast the race as a battle against rising costs, which she blamed on billionaires and corporations. Her proposals included a pause on new data centers, reversing tax breaks for the industry and ending the school voucher program. She said the scale of her win had surprised even her supporters.
Trump, who had backed Abbott since 2016, blamed the governor for the loss in a post on X, saying Abbott had changed course in the final months of his political career.
James Talarico defeats Ken Paxton in Texas
James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, giving Texas its first Democratic senator in nearly 40 years. National Republicans and allied groups poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Paxton’s campaign.
Trump and Paxton tried to portray Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian, as far left, criticizing his support for transgender minors and calling him a communist. Trump also used the nickname “Talafreako.”
Paxton’s defeat followed Trump’s decision to endorse him shortly before a May runoff against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn. Trump called Paxton a “true MAGA Warrior,” while criticizing Cornyn for not always supporting him when it mattered.
Darline Graham falls short in South Carolina
Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, defeated Darline Graham, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. The result marked the first time since 1998 that a Democrat won a U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina.
Graham had name recognition and received two campaign appearances from Trump, who praised her as smart and dependable during an October visit to the state. After Lindsey Graham died in July, Gov. Henry McMaster appointed his sister to serve out the remainder of his term, which ends this year. She entered the special election after Trump encouraged her to run.
Democrats flip Kansas Senate seat
Adam Hamilton, a megachurch pastor, defeated first-term Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, giving Democrats a Kansas Senate seat for the first time in 94 years.
Before the election, Marshall said he doubted Republicans could keep control of the Senate if they lost Kansas. That prediction came true as Democrats won back the chamber.
Political strategists pointed to Hamilton’s visibility as the leader of the country’s largest United Methodist church as an advantage. Marshall remained closely aligned with Trump, who campaigned with him twice in the weeks before Election Day. One Democratic strategist said a favorable political climate, a scandal-plagued incumbent and a strong challenger helped make the upset possible.
