Americans voted on Tuesday to renew all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the Senate’s 100 seats. Both chambers were controlled by Republicans before the election. By midnight in Brasília, Democrats had secured a Senate majority, while CNN projected that they would win the House as well.

The scale of the opposition’s gains surprised even optimistic Democrats. Senate victories included Texas, where James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton, an ally of Trump. Democrats also won in North Carolina and South Carolina, where the race had been considered favorable to Republicans but was not viewed as certain.

In Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton contested the Senate seat against Republican Roger Marshall in a race without a clear favorite. The state had not elected a Democratic senator in 94 years. Ohio also returned Democrat Sherrod Brown to the Senate: he defeated Jon Husted, who had been appointed to the seat vacated by JD Vance, now the US vice president. The Ohio contest was among the country’s most expensive, with more than $400 million in campaign spending.

In Florida, Democrat Kathy Castor won re-election in the 14th congressional district around Tampa, despite a new map drawn to benefit Republicans. The district had been made more competitive, in an area where Trump received 54% of the vote in 2024. Republicans nevertheless won most of Florida’s House seats and the state’s Senate race, though some contests were closer than Trump’s margin of more than 13 points there in 2024.

Democrats had campaigned on voter concerns about the cost of living, the economy and Trump’s policies, seeking to curb his influence in Congress. Although his name was not on the ballot, Trump urged supporters at rallies to vote as if it were. After the Democratic gains became clear, he wrote on social media: “If I were [on the ballot], we would have won by a landslide!”

A Democratic House majority is expected to enable investigations into the administration and increase scrutiny of the White House. Trump would retain his veto power, which can be overridden only by a two-thirds vote in each chamber.

Voters also chose governors in 36 states. By early Wednesday, Democrats had won 15 of those races and Republicans had won 10. The midterm results will also serve as a gauge of the political climate ahead of the 2028 presidential election.

Sources: Folha Mundo.