Democrats won at least seven Republican-held Senate seats across the country. These victories came in Kansas, Iowa, Texas, Ohio, Maine, North Carolina and South Carolina.
The state had not elected a Democratic senator in nearly 100 years. Democrat Adam Hamilton defeated Republican Senator Roger Marshall in Kansas. Hamilton’s victory was one of the biggest surprises of the election.
Texas elected a Democrat to the Senate: Democrat James Talarico won the Senate race in Texas, delivering another major victory for his party in a traditionally Republican state. Maine’s Susan Collins lost her Senate seat: Democrat Troy Jackson defeated Republican Senator Susan Collins, who was seeking a sixth term. Democrats also won the governor’s race in Georgia: Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated her Republican opponent to win the Georgia governor’s race.
Iowa elected a Democratic senator: Democrat Josh Turek defeated Republican Ashley Hinson in the race for Iowa’s open Senate seat. Turek will replace retiring Republican Senator Joni Ernst. Ohio returned Sherrod Brown to the Senate: Democrat Sherrod Brown defeated Republican Senator Jon Husted. Collins conceded the race, ending her long run in the Senate.
Trump had won Iowa by 13 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election, making the Democratic victory a major upset, according to AP.
Celebrating his win, Talarico told supporters, “We just took back Texas”, according to AP News. Brown told supporters that Ohio voters had sent an “undeniable message” through their votes. Jackson, a former president of the Maine Senate, became the Democratic nominee in July after Graham Platner dropped out of the race, according to AP.
