Democrats have regained control of the US Senate after winning a series of races in states where the party had struggled for years, giving them greater power to challenge President Donald Trump’s agenda and appointments for the rest of his presidency.

With control of the Senate, Democrats will be able to hold up legislation as well as Trump’s cabinet and judicial nominees, including candidates for the Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority. The party is also expected to win the House of Representatives, potentially giving Democrats control of Congress for the first time since 2022.

According to the Associated Press, Democratic candidates won Senate races in South Carolina, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Iowa and Kansas. The victories include states that had not elected a Democratic senator for decades: Kansas last did so in 1932, Texas in 1988, South Carolina 38 years ago, and Iowa and North Carolina 18 years ago.

Counting is still underway in Minnesota and Michigan, where Democrats are seeking to retain seats held by retiring senators, and in Maine, where Republican Susan Collins is the only Republican senator representing a state that typically votes Democratic. Democrats are also seeking to defeat Alaska Republican Dan Sullivan, but that race may take days to resolve.

Republicans, meanwhile, failed to unseat Democratic senators in New Hampshire and Georgia, both of which voted for Trump in 2024. Democrats lost control of the Senate that year, when Republicans secured a 53-seat majority.

The results followed a campaign in which Trump’s approval ratings weakened, particularly on the economy and immigration. His decision to attack Iran and the deployment of federal agents for immigration raids, which led to the deaths of two US citizens in Minneapolis, also alienated voters. Rising gas prices amid the Middle East conflict helped boost Democratic confidence in races in Texas, Kansas and Iowa.

Trump’s role in Republican primaries also shaped the outcome. After he criticized North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis for opposing his domestic policy legislation, Tillis announced he would retire. Democrat Roy Cooper, a former governor, won the race to succeed him. In Texas, Trump backed Attorney General Ken Paxton over longtime Senator John Cornyn, who lost the primary. Democrat James Talarico then won the seat by a double-digit margin, according to the AP.

Sources: The Guardian World.