Democrats win Senate seats in Texas, Kansas and Maine in US midterm elections

Democrats take Republican Senate seats

Democrats regained both chambers of Congress on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, handing a sharp setback to President Donald Trump's Republicans. Voters decided the House of Representatives, about a third of the Senate and governorships in 36 of the 50 states. According to the New York Times, Democrats won Senate races in at least six states where they had not won for decades. In Kansas, Adam Hamilton became the first Democrat since 1932 to win a Senate race there, a period in which Republicans had held both seats. High living costs were a central issue for Kansas voters, and Hamilton pressed it with independents and moderate Republicans. In South Carolina, Annie Andrews gave her party its first Senate win since 1998, while Democrats also won Senate races in Texas and Maine for the first time since 1988.

Texas: Talarico and Hinojosa

James Talarico, 37, a former teacher and state lawmaker, defeated Ken Paxton, the Republican backed by Trump. He will be the youngest US senator and succeeds John Cornyn, who lost the Republican primary to Paxton. Elon Musk had backed Paxton's campaign with more than $200 million (about 180 million euros), and Trump travelled to Texas several times to support him. Speaking at his election party in Austin, Talarico said Democrats had beaten several Goliaths, naming "the richest man in the world" and "the most powerful man in the world" among them.

“We have defeated Goliath.”

Gina Hinojosa, a state lawmaker, defeated incumbent Republican Greg Abbott. She becomes the first Democrat since Ann Richards in 1990 to win the Texas governorship, and the first governor of Latin American descent in the state's history. According to the Texas Tribune, Abbott spent nearly eight times as much money as Hinojosa during the campaign. Democrats had initially written off the race and struggled to find a candidate against Abbott.

Firsts in Georgia, Florida, Michigan and Illinois

Keisha Lance Bottoms will become the first Black woman governor in US history and the first woman to lead Georgia, where Democrats regained the governorship for the first time since 1998. Juliana Stratton's win in Illinois means three Black women will serve in the Senate at the same time for the first time. In Florida, Republican Byron Donalds, a Trump ally, becomes the state's first Black governor. In Wisconsin, Democrat David Crowley becomes the state's first Black governor, and Wes Moore was re-elected in Maryland. In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, 42, beat Republican Mike Rogers and becomes the first Muslim US senator. El-Sayed's family comes from Egypt, and he campaigned to end US aid to Israel, provide health insurance for all and abolish ICE.

Close races in Louisiana and Mississippi

In Louisiana, Republican Julia Letlow narrowly won the Senate race with 50.9% of the vote against 49.1% for her Democratic opponent.

Julia Letlow (Republican)50.9%

Democratic opponent49.1%

Julia Letlow (Republican)

50.9 %

Democratic opponent

49.1 %

Data from the article text

In Mississippi, the prediction market Polymarket had put the chance of a Republican win at about 90% before the vote. After 97% of the ballots were counted, Democrat Scott Colom led by just a few dozen votes. The margin in Mississippi remained open in the figures available on Wednesday morning.