- Democrats gain control of US Congress.
- Republicans suffer major losses in key states.
- Trump's influence weakened by unexpected defeats.
US Midterm Elections: In a major setback for President Donald Trump, American voters on Tuesday handed control of the US Congress to the opposition Democratic Party, delivering a series of unexpected defeats to Republicans in key elections.
The results are being seen as a verdict on Trump's second term, with rising living costs, tariffs and the US war against Iran emerging as major issues for voters. The Democrats made significant gains in both the Senate and the House, weakening Trump's hold on Congress nearly two years before his final term ends.
Republicans also suffered defeats in its strongholds, including Texas, Georgia and Iowa, where it lost the governors' posts to the Democrats. The Grand Old Party also suffered big losses in Senate races in Texas, Maine, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kansas and Iowa, where Trump campaigned with a simple message urging voters to pretend that he was on the ballot.
In the outgoing Senate, Republicans held a 53-47 majority. By 1:30 am Eastern Time on Wednesday, the Democrats had won 53 seats, while the Republicans had secured 41. Six races were yet to be called.
In the outgoing House, Republicans had a narrow 220-215 majority and were also facing the possibility of losing control.
As the results came in, Trump posted a picture on Truth Social, his preferred social media platform. The picture showed a red cap with VETO written on the front.
Here are some of the biggest and most unexpected Republican losses in the US midterm elections.
Texas
Democrat James Talarico, a former schoolteacher and Presbyterian seminarian, won the US Senate race in Texas. He campaigned on a "politics of love" message and secured a major victory for the Democrats.
Paxton's loss to James Talarico marked the first time Texas would be sending a Democrat to the Senate in nearly 40 years.
South Carolina
The Democrats won a US Senate seat in South Carolina that the Republicans had held for more than 28 years.
Democrat Annie Andrews, a paediatrician, defeated Republican Darline Graham, who was trying to fill the shoes of her late brother, Lindsey Graham.
The Democrats had not won a Senate election in the deeply conservative state since 1998. Before Andrews, Fritz Hollings was the last Democrat elected to the Senate from South Carolina.
North Carolina
North Carolina was the first Senate seat to flip when Democrat Roy Cooper defeated Republican Michael Whatley.
Georgia
Georgia also made history when Keisha Lance Bottoms became the state's first Black governor. She defeated Republican candidate Rick Jackson.
Iowa
In Iowa, Democrat Rob Sand won the governor's post, defeating Republican Zach Lahn. Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated incumbent Governor Greg Abbott, thus becoming the first Latino to be elected to the governor's office in Texas.
Kansas
In Kansas, pastor-politician Adam Hamilton entered the record books by winning a Senate seat for the Democrats for the first time in nearly 100 years.
Hamilton won the Kansas Senate seat by defeating Republican Senator Roger Marshall, flipping a seat once believed to be safely Republican in another example of how far dissatisfaction with Trump has spread throughout the nation.
Hamilton's victory snapped a 94-year losing streak for Democrats in Senate races in Kansas.
Ohio
In Ohio, Republican Jon Husted, who was appointed to the US Senate after incumbent JD Vance was elected Vice President, lost the seat to Democrat Sherrod Brown.