Órla Ryan US midterms writer article
‘We shocked the world tonight’ – Gina Hinojosa wins in Texas Reacting to winning the gubernatorial race in Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa told supporters: “We shocked the world tonight. We showed that anything is possible.” Hinojosa has made history as the first Latina governor of Texas, and the first Democrat to occupy the governor’s mansion since 1990. She defeated Republican incumbent Greg Abbott, who is serving his third term as governor. Her win was the second stunning upset of the night in the Lone Star State, after James Talarico made history as the first Democrat to win a US Senate seat there in nearly 40 years. Democrat flips Nebraska’s House district Democrat Denise Powell has won the House race for Nebraska’s second congressional district, flipping the open seat after the moderate Republican incumbent – Don Bacon – announced that he would retire. Powell beat Republican Brinker Harding in the contest, which includes Omaha – the “blue dot” of the state. The district is the only one in Nebraska that Kamala Harris won in the 2024 presidential election. Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass hopeful of win Supporters of Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass appeared hopeful the incumbent could pull off a victory over challenger Nithya Raman. Close to 11pm local time, a group of attendees at a Democratic Party event at Loews Hollywood Hotel were dancing as they waited for more results and chanting “four more years”. Early returns showed Bass with a narrow lead in the polls. Bass had addressed supporters earlier in the evening, praising what she described as a critical day for the city and the country as Democrats saw huge wins across the US. “Our country has spoken. The city is speaking,” Bass said. “Let me just say from the bottom of my heart, thank you Angelenos.” Bass faced a tough fight for re-election given her low approval ratings and Angelenos’ broad dissatisfaction with the state of the city. While her opponent Raman, an LA city councillor and one time ally, was leading the polls for weeks, Bass made gains in recent weeks. Democrat Melissa Gonzalo said people were feeling ecstatic about the blue wave across the US, and “cautiously optimistic” about the mayor’s race. “This is a very unique situation,” she said. As an LA county resident she can’t vote for Bass, but has convinced friends to back the mayor. Bass cares about the city and has rectified past errors, Gonzalo said. “I don’t feel like it’s time for someone new at this moment,” she said, particularly with the upcoming Olympics. Kevin Garrity, another Bass supporter, was hopeful given Bass’s momentum in recent weeks. “It’s too close to call, but if I were betting on it I would vote on Karen. She’s the best candidate. She has experience. She loves this city.” – The Guardian Dollar slides as stunning victories for Democrats jolt AI bets Global stocks slumped and the dollar hit a one-month low on Wednesday as Democrats gained control of both the Senate and the House in the US midterm elections, fuelling fears that rapid AI sector growth could be hamstrung by regulatory scrutiny. In a major setback to US president Donald Trump, Democrats notched up victories in the South Carolina, Texas and Ohio Senate races, capturing majorities in both the Senate and House that reached deep into Republican strongholds. The breadth of the party’s success was underscored by gains in districts long considered safely conservative, highlighting a political shift that caught many investors off guard. AI stocks were quick to slide. That in turn put the dollar under pressure, while cryptocurrencies also fell at the prospect of stronger regulations. Bonds, though, found favour as investors sought safer assets. “Tighter regulatory scrutiny of technology and AI companies along with the higher likelihood of political gridlock beckon with a Democrat sweep,” said Prashant Newnaha, senior rates strategist at TD Securities in Singapore. The AI boom has helped propel global markets in recent years, driven by heavy spending from tech giants racing to build data centres and expand computing capacity. That has left investors acutely sensitive to anything that could derail the technology’s rapid expansion. – Reuters Abdul El-Sayed wins historic US Senate race in Michigan Abdul El-Sayed has won the US Senate race in Michigan, defending a Democratic seat, in one of the most closely-watched competitions this midterm cycle. El-Sayed beat former Republican congressman Mike Rogers to become the US’s first Muslim senator. Rogers sought to cast El-Sayed, a public health official, as too extreme for Michigan. Trump described El-Sayed in racist terms, saying the US Congress would have to “get a special metal detector for Abdul” if he were elected. It is my honor and privilege to be headed to the US Senate to serve the great state of Michigan. Michigan, we did what they said couldn’t be done. We won. Together. Now the real work begins. pic.twitter.com/ITgNRyUkNc — Dr. Abdul El-Sayed (@AbdulElSayed) November 4, 2026 The race has drawn national attention in recent days , as Hayley Stevens, who lost to El-Sayed in the August primary election, declined to campaign with him, while demanding that he publicly disavow an outside group’s political ad that posited a link between rising prices and US military support for Israel’s war on Gaza. El-Sayed responded by telling Stevens to stay away from a campaign event at which they were supposed to appear together on Sunday. Stevens then endorsed Rogers. Elon Musk jokes about ‘election interfering’ Guess my election-interfering space lasers didn’t work this time 🤷♂️ — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 4, 2026 Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, has joked that his “election interfering” didn’t work. He spent an estimated $445 million (about €395 million) to support Republican candidates in various races. “Guess my election-interfering space lasers didn’t work this time,” Musk posted to X. The billionaire founder of Tesla and SpaceX was the biggest donor in these elections, dwarfing any outside spending to support Democrats. Many Democrats have vowed to investigate Musk and his work with the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), which hollowed out several federal agencies, when they take control of Congress. Musk also joked that data centres – a hot-button issue facing public backlash – in space look “pretty appealing right now”. Data centers in space looking pretty appealing right now — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 4, 2026 ‘The Maga movement took an unholy caning’ Analysing the sweeping victories for Democrats, Washington Correspondent Keith Duggan says: “The polls had been right – and if anything, they had been conservative in their forecasts. “Donald Trump and his Maga Republican movement took an unholy caning in the 2026 midterms. Texas. Iowa. Kansas. South Carolina. Ohio. All returned Democrat senators as the opposition party reclaimed both House and Senate. “Just like that, the Trump era looked enfeebled, even if the president remains a volatile leader and less readable now that his power wanes.” Read his full analysis here . What can Democrats do now they have won Congress? Democrats have flipped the US Senate and House of Representatives in a massive rebuke of Republicans and Donald Trump’s agenda. With Democrat majorities in both chambers, the final two years of Trump’s presidency will look markedly different from the first half. But what can Democrats actually do with congressional power? With majorities in both chambers, the party can launch investigations and block Trump appointments. Read the full article here . ‘What’s happening in Washington is not okay’ – Hamilton Adam Hamilton, the first Democrat to win a US Senate seat in Kansas in almost a century, said his victory shows that people are unhappy with the Trump administration. “I think the people in Kansas – Republicans, Independents and Democrats – are saying what’s happening in Washington is not okay” Hamilton, a Methodist pastor, beat the Republican incumbent, Roger Marshall, in a stunning victory that saw Kansas elect its first Democratic senator since 1932. Thank you, Kansas. Thank you for your faith in me and for the opportunity to fight for you in Washington. You'll hear more from me soon. – AH pic.twitter.com/s6krWX524M — Adam Hamilton (@Hamilton4Kansas) November 4, 2026 Europeans bracing for possible Trump backlash after midterm drubbing The bloody nose American voters delivered to Trump may provoke a volatile response from the White House abroad, Europe Correspondent Jack Power writes. Officials who cover trade policy in the European Commission had been privately cautioning for weeks that big Republican losses could leave the US president bruised and angling for a fight elsewhere. That might manifest itself in Trump’s war in Iran, impact on already waning US support for Ukraine or see the US president wade into a fresh row with the European Union (EU). After fears Trump’s tariffs would drag the EU into a destabilising trade war during his first year in office, things had been quiet on that front this year. The political heat had been taken out of the tariff question by the Europeans agreeing to a 15 per cent tariff rate on goods sold into the US. Back-to-back summits in Dublin next week, organised as part of Ireland’s EU presidency, will be a good opportunity for European leaders to compare notes on how they think these midterm results might influence transatlantic relations for the second half of Trump’s presidency. US stock futures turn positive US stock futures have turned positive ahead of Wall Street opening later, as investors continue to assess the implications of the blue wave across the US, with the Democrats winning control of Congress. Dow Jones futures are up 0.4 per cent, while S&P 500 and futures for the tech-heavy Nasdaq have both edged about 0.15 per cent higher. Earlier, Nasdaq futures fell 2.4 per cent while S&P 500 futures dropped 1.4 per cent. – The Guardian El-Sayed ‘proud and honoured’ to be first Muslim senator After winning the US Senate race in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed will become the country’s first Muslim senator. In his victory speech, El-Sayed told a jubilant crowd: “Michigan, we did it ... I am so proud and honoured to stand here as your senator-elect from the great state of Michigan. “Up until right about now, you might have noticed I always say inshallah, or God willing, whenever the outcome of this race was mentioned. But today, tonight, we can turn that inshallah into an alhamdulillah (praise be to God).” El-Sayed (42), a former public health official, focused on lowering costs for working families and reducing corporate influence in politics. His platform included Medicare for All, a government-funded universal healthcare programme championed by progressives in his party. Republican Pete Ricketts wins re-election in Nebraska Republican Pete Ricketts has won his re-election bid in Nebraska, defeating independent candidate Dan Osborn. Ricketts, a former Nebraska governor, was appointed to the Senate in 2023 to replace Republican senator Ben Sasse and won a special election in 2024 to serve the final two years of his predecessor’s term. Senate race in Mississippi on knife’s edge as voting stops for night The Mississippi US Senate race is neck and neck, with 97 per cent of votes counted. Democrat Scott Colom is currently leading Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith by just 28 votes. Colom would be Mississippi’s first black senator since the post-Civil War Reconstruction era. While Hyde-Smith, a staunch ally of Donald Trump, is vying for her second full term. Local media is reporting that, shortly after midnight local time (6am Irish time), Hinds County election officials announced they had paused the count for the night , meaning the results will have to wait until the morning. Thousands of affidavit ballots also remain to be counted across the state to determine the outcome of the race. America voted ‘against hate and sexism’ – Pedro Sánchez Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez – a vocal Trump critic – said the American people “voted against policies that only serve to impoverish. Against hate. Against sexism. Against climate denialism and against the privileges of the elites.” In a post on X , Sánchez, who faces an uphill battle to secure another term in office in Spain’s general election later this month, added: “It happened in Brazil. It just happened in the US. And it will happen soon in Spain.” Ayer, la sociedad estadounidense votó contra las políticas que solo empobrecen. Contra el odio. Contra el machismo. Contra el negacionismo climático y contra los privilegios de las élites. Ocurrió en Brasil. Acaba de ocurrir en EEUU. Y ocurrirá pronto en España. La ola ultra a… — Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) November 4, 2026 Trump’s midterm rebuke gives trading partners room to resist A backlash against US president Donald Trump’s Republican Party over rising living costs in the midterm elections could embolden countries around the world to resist his combative trade policies, which have raised prices for American consumers. Democrats captured majorities in both the Senate and House on Tuesday, as US voters delivered a stinging rebuke for Trump’s policies, specifically tariffs and the Iran war, which they blame for persistent inflation. That could give countries more reason to slow-walk investment pledges they made to stave off tariffs, and hand economic rival China a perceived upper hand in ongoing trade talks, political analysts and economists said. Trump’s next major international outing will be a trip to Asia later this month, where he is due to meet southeast Asian leaders in the Philippines and then join the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Shenzhen, China. Japan and South Korea, America’s closest allies in Asia, promised $550 billion (about €485bn) and $350 billion (€308bn) respectively in US investments last year under deals with Trump. “Democrats seem to perceive that the investment commitments were forced on allies,” said Heo Yoon, economics professor at Sogang University in Seoul, adding that countries might now feel less pressure to fulfil such commitments. But others cautioned that Trump, criticised at home, could squeeze allies harder abroad, pushing them to deliver pledged investments to show his policies are working. “The tariff issue is not over. If Japan’s response is slow, calls for additional tariffs could resurface,” said Kazuhiro Maeshima, a professor of US politics at Sophia University in Tokyo. – Reuters America wants ‘a politics that brings people together’ – Obama Former US president Barack Obama said the American people have “sent a clear message – they want a politics that brings people together rather than divides them, and leaders who offer concrete solutions to the challenges they face”. In a post on X , he said: “These results were only possible because outstanding candidates stepped forward in every region of the country – including in areas once considered long shots. “They came from different backgrounds and represented a range of political perspectives, but were united by shared values, a belief in public service and a commitment to putting the people of their districts and states first.” Tonight, the American people sent a clear message — they want a politics that brings people together rather than divides them, and leaders who offer concrete solutions to the challenges they face. These results were only possible because outstanding candidates stepped forward in… — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 4, 2026 From Texas to Kansas, Republicans have lost on home turf Need to catch up on everything that happened overnight? The Inside Politics team has you covered. Washington Correspondent Keith Duggan, who is in Texas, speaks to Hugh Linehan about where and how Democratic candidates have pulled off victories and what the result means for the remaining two years of Trump’s term in office. Listen here . Democrat Aaron Ford makes history as Nevada elects its first Black governor Nevada has elected Democrat Aaron Ford as its next governor, making him the first black person to hold the office in the state’s history. His win toppled Republican incumbent Joe Lombardo in a closely watched race, and delivered an important victory for the Democrats in one of the country’s key battleground states. Democrats flip key red states The Democrats have flipped several red states including Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Maine, South Carolina and North Carolina. 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If the US govt betrays their public will to serve international paymasters and blackmailers, it will learn our NO comes with a Nightmare. — محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) November 4, 2026 Democrats celebrate several firsts Democrats are celebrating a number of firsts after sweeping victories across the United States. Abdul El-Sayed won the Senate race in Michigan, defeating former Republican congressman Mike Rogers to become the US’s first Muslim senator. Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta, won the governor’s race in Georgia, becoming the first black governor and first woman to be elected to the state’s highest office. Bottoms is also the first Democrat-elected governor in Georgia in more than 25 years. Nevada elected Democrat Aaron Ford as its next governor, making him the first black person to hold the office in the state’s history. Gina Hinojosa made history to become Texas’s first Latina governor, and the first Democrat to occupy the governor’s mansion since 1990. She bet the Republican incumbent Greg Abbott. Representative Chris Pappas, Democrat of New Hampshire, will be the Senate’s first openly gay male senator with his victory over Republican John E Sununu. Mississippi and Alaska final elections to be called Competitive Senate races in Mississippi and Alaska have yet to be called. Mississippi is incredibly close, as the Democrats’ Scott Colom is leading his Republican rival and incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith by fewer than 50 votes. In Alaska, former Democratic congresswoman Mary Peltola has led Republican incumbent Dan S Sullivan in recent polls. The race has drawn criticism from the Trump administration, which has accused Democrats of recruiting a namesake candidate to siphon votes from Sullivan. The justice department sought to delay certification if the Trump-backed Sullivan lost, though a federal judge recently rejected that effort. Peltola’s campaign has denied recruiting Dan J Sullivan, but a recent New York Times report suggested otherwise . Iran’s supreme leader says election results will not stop hostilities Washington’s hostility towards Tehran will not change through partisan shifts or any concessions to the US, and those who believe otherwise are “greatly mistaken”, Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Wednesday, following the Republican Party’s defeats in the US midterm elections. Khamenei warned that Iran’s response to any renewed US aggression would be on a much greater scale, adding that Tehran’s destruction of US bases in the region and its management of the Strait of Hormuz had been part of a campaign against US hegemony. “The US sees the end of its hegemony as distant; we see it as near,” he said. – Reuters Netanyahu’s rivals lambast him over loss of bipartisan American support Binyamin Netanyahu’s political rivals seized on Democrats’ capture of the US Congress as proof that he had squandered generations of bipartisan American support for Israel, as they seek a chance to form a government without him. Yair Golan, head of Israel’s centre-left opposition Democrats party, said on X that the US midterm election results “reveal just how toxic Netanyahu is among both Democrats and Republicans”. תוצאות בחירות האמצע הלילה בארה״ב חושפות עד כמה נתניהו רעיל גם אצל הדמוקרטים וגם אצל הרפובליקנים. אני מתריע: המשך כהונתם של נתניהו ובן גביר עלול להוביל את ישראל למסלול של סנקציות בינלאומיות, בידוד בינלאומי ולהתנגשות עם ארה״ב, ידידתנו ובעלת בריתנו החשובה ביותר. ישראל זקוקה… — Yair Golan - יאיר גולן (@YairGolan1) November 4, 2026 Centrist opposition leader Yair Lapid said the results showed “Israel cannot afford” for Netanyahu to remain in office. “It endangers our security, it jeopardises our democracy, and it will ruin our standing on the global stage,” Lapid said in a social media post. The US vote took place just a week after an Israeli election, when Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition lost its parliamentary majority but performed well enough to deny his main opponent Gadi Eisenkot a clear path to unseat him. Israeli president Yitzhak Herzog is due to hold talks on Wednesday and Thursday with party representatives before tasking one of the two men with forming the next government. Meanwhile Netanyahu remains prime minister as a caretaker. – Reuters Hannity says ‘hatred’ towards Trump is ‘unprecedented’ Fox News host Sean Hannity, a prominent Trump supporter, described the scale of “hatred” towards the US president as “unprecedented”. “I think the hatred for this man is unprecedented. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Hannity said while discussing the election results on Fox News. “Hatred is a hell of a motivator.” @seanhannity suggests intense opposition to President Trump may have driven Democrats to the polls, arguing that the level of hatred directed at the president is unlike anything he has seen before. @HaroldFordJr asks whether Trump’s presence… pic.twitter.com/TlEjCrEfxs — Fox News (@FoxNews) November 4, 2026 EU official hopes for ‘fresh start for co-operation’ between US and Europe Brando Benifei, chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with the US, said Europe is ready to relaunch dialogue with the new Congress. In a statement , Benifei said: “The shift in control of Congress from Republicans to Democrats sends an unequivocal political message: the American people want to turn the page on Donald Trump’s agenda. “From the rising cost of living to the war in Iran, from repressive policies on civil rights and citizenship to Ice operations, the message is clear: voters are calling for a change of course, and the new Congress must translate this into action. “It is essential that Congress fully reassert its constitutional prerogatives, following years of repeated executive overreach, including in matters of international law.” Benifei said he hoped the new legislature “will mark a fresh start for dialogue and co-operation between our institutions”. “The transatlantic relationship remains indispensable to European security, the competitiveness of our economies, and the wellbeing of our citizens and businesses,” he added. Kremlin hopes midterm results do not affect Trump’s ‘peacemaking efforts’ The Kremlin said it hopes the results of the US midterm elections will not impact what it said were president Donald Trump’s “peacemaking efforts”. In comments broadcast by Russian state media, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “We are sincerely counting on [Trump] continuing his peacemaking efforts.” – Reuters ‘Governing in the US will be almost impossible,’ says Belgian defence minister Belgian defence minister Theo Francken has warned that “governing in the US will be almost impossible in the coming years given the level of internal division and polarisation”. In a post on X, Francken said: “As a European politician I will mainly look of course to trade policies, support to Ukraine and Nato.” ‘t Is gebeurd. House en Senate kwijt, Capitol Hill kleurt blauw. Gouverneurschap Ohio kwijt en veel andere cruciale posities. Zelfs Texas gaat deels blauw en krijgt een blauwe gouverneur. Ma donna. Besturen in de States zal de komende jaren quasi onmogelijk worden met zo veel… pic.twitter.com/76P2qvjzFI — Theo Francken (@FranckenTheo) November 4, 2026 Democrats secure majorities in both House and Senate The Democrats have secured 228 seats in the House of Representatives (with 218 needed for a majority) and 54 seats in the Senate (with 51 needed for control). The party has flipped at least seven Senate seats in red states and battlegrounds, including Kansas – which hasn’t elected a Democratic senator in nearly a century – Iowa, Texas, Ohio, Maine, North Carolina and South Carolina. In the House, the Democrats have flipped more than two dozen districts. - The Guardian US Senate: Seven new faces to watch Democrats won control of the US Senate by taking states in traditional Republican strongholds in a string of victories that brings new blood to Washington. The next generation of Democratic leaders – which many see as a field for potential presidential candidates – includes a pastor of a Methodist megachurch, a Paralympic gold medallist, a logger, a paediatrician, a state health official and a former sixth-grade teacher. After years in which the party was dominated by older grandees such as former president Joe Biden and senator Bernie Sanders, the new intake brings a younger generation into view. Seven new senators to watch are Abdul El-Sayed (Michigan); James Talarico (Texas); Annie Andrews (South Carolina); Adam Hamilton (Kansas); Roy Cooper (North Carolina); Josh Turek (Iowa) and Troy Jackson (Maine). Read the full article here . US stock index futures rally US stock index futures rallied on Wednesday after Democrats secured sweeping victories in the midterm elections. The prospect of fewer sweeping legislative changes as a result of divided government in Washington provided a lift to large technology companies, though investors were still assessing what Democratic control of Congress could mean for AI regulation. “Investors could conclude that Washington remains structurally constrained, limiting the prospects for dramatic shifts in the economic outlook,” said Michael Krautzberger, CIO, for public markets, and Liam Wash, senior US economist at Allianz Global Investors. Amazon.com jumped about 3 per cent, while Meta Platforms, Nvidia and Alphabet gained over 1 per cent each. Elon Musk-led SpaceX and Tesla lagged, down over 4 per cent each. The world’s richest man spent nearly half a billion dollars to back Republican candidates in a bid to keep Texas, where his businesses are based, red. - Reuters Five key takeaways from Democrat landslide Democrats have swept key US midterm races, flipping long-held Republican seats and securing a majority in Congress as voters rebuked Donald Trump’s policies at the ballot box. Here are the key takeaways from the results. ‘Americans voted for change, Democrats must deliver’ Reacting to the results, Chuck Schumer, the Democrats Senate minority leader, said: “There is now a generational remake of the Senate map that is going to change America. “Americans voted for change, and now Democrats must deliver.” - Reuters