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A political extinction event. The bottom falling out. The beginning of the end of MAGA. Call it what you want: Last night was a full-blown repudiation of Donald Trump.
Democrats won the House and Senate, flipped five governorships, turned Texas blue, won deep-red South Carolina, and picked up seats Republicans had redrawn to protect themselves.
The same issues that brought Democrats to the polls turned some of Trump’s own voters against him. In four states where Democrats flipped Senate seats, about one in ten voters who backed Trump in 2024 voted Democratic. Young voters and Latinos who had swung toward Trump swung back across the country.
Voters were furious about prices, the war in Iran, corruption, and data centers. And don’t miss this: Democracy was their second-biggest concern, behind the economy. For two years, Congress let Trump do what he wanted. Last night, voters answered with a resounding no.
They elected historic firsts, bringing in leadership that looks like America — and a new generation of officials who will lower the average age in Congress by about a decade.
Democrats are already talking about impeaching Pete Hegseth, passing ethics rules, and advancing a sweeping economic agenda. And the 2028 chatter has already begun.
But before we race ahead, let’s pause on what last night means. Consider this: “A political party that is morally and intellectually bankrupt deserves the rebuke of the American people. It is now time to make America good again.” That’s from 𝕏David Holt, the Republican mayor of Oklahoma City.
This wasn’t simply blue versus red.
The repudiation of Trump’s leadership carried a larger message: Our divisions don’t define us, and our worst impulses aren’t our deepest values. Americans showed ourselves — and the world — that we can still choose better.
In this newsletter: an interview with , founding president and CEO of Votolatino, which helped turn out the vote in swing states across the nation. We talk about the Latino voters who delivered this rebuke, why so many turned away from Trump, and what Democrats need to do to keep their support going forward.
Kumar is a force — check out our conversation at the top of this newsletter.
And below: we break down what just happened.
Blue Wave: Voters handed Republicans a historic defeat. Democrats flipped at least seven Senate seats, including in states that voted for Trump three times, and will hold at least 54 Upper Chamber seats come January. They flipped at least two dozen House seats, some in districts Trump won by 20 points in 2024, for a double-digit Lower Chamber majority. And they flipped at least fivegovernorships, giving them a majority of governors for the first time in over 15 years. Republicanslost groundin 99% of counties counted as of this morning. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican,called it“close to an extinction-level event.” Every segment of the voting populationmoved left, including parts of Trump’s coalition — driven in large part bywidespread frustrationwith the Trump administration’s policies and their effect on the cost of living. Trump told voters to pretend he was on the ballot, and they seem to have obliged, though he quickly deflectedblame. “It’s just a point in time,”he said. “There was a mood in the air, I guess.” He said he wouldacceptthe results.Deep Dive: You can find data on every contest at the AP’s websitehere.
Major Victories: Democratsoutperformedthe polls.James Talaricoand Gina Hinojosaflippeda Texas Senate seat and Governorship,Adam Hamiltonwon a Kansas Senate seat for the first time in almost a century,Annie Andrewsbecame South Carolina’s first woman senator, andTroy Jacksonended Susan Collins’ 30-year Senate career. “We embodied a new kind of politics,” Talaricosaidin his victory speech. “A politics of love.” But beyond the headlines were several potentially watershed wins and historic firsts you might have missed:State of Play: State legislatures are where most laws actually get passed, and Democrats exceeded expectations there. They flipped at least a dozenstate chambers, and now control a majority of them. Theywon new trifectas(i.e., control of the state House, Senate, and governorship) in Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Nevada, and flipped the state Houses in Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina for the first time in decades. With Trumpthreateningto veto Democratic bills in Congress, statehouses are where Democrats can pass laws to deliver on their promises, and where a new generation of Democratic talent can build experience.Dummymander: The GOP’s attempt to gerrymander their way to victory fell flat. Democrats held on toat least 10of the 15 districts that Republicans gerrymandered, including some that Trump would have won by double digits in 2024. Democrats alsowonmost of the districts they redrew for themselves.What Glass Ceiling: Democratic women had a historic night. The next Congress willincludemore than 100 of them for the first time ever. Minnesota’sPeggy Flanagan(and potentially Alaska’sMary Peltola) will become the first Native American woman in the Senate, andKatherine Clarklooks set to become the first female House majority leader in history. At least 101 women of either party will serve instatewide offices, such as governor, also a record. Of that figure, at least 18 will be Black women, 63% more than the previous record. 17 women wongubernatorial contests, also a new record. They includeKeisha Lance Bottoms, who will be Georgia’s first woman governor and the country’s first Black woman governor;Gina Hinojosa, Texas’ first Latina governor; New Mexico’sDeb Haaland, the nation’s first Indigenous female governor;Amy Acton, Ohio’s first woman governor; and Republican Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee’s first woman governor.Spotlight: In deep-red South Carolina,Nancy Lacore, a former Navy officer who was purged by Hegseth from the Pentagon, flipped the House seat previously held by Nancy Mace.
Historic Firsts: Minority lawmakers had a bumper night, too.Byron Donalds, the only Republican in this section, will be Florida’s first Black governor;Melat KirosColorado’s first Black woman in Congress — she’s also the first Gen Z woman in Congress; andHakeem Jeffriesis set to be the first-ever Black Speaker of the House. DemocratXavier Becerrawill be California’s first Latino governor andDenise PowellNebraska’s first Hispanic representative.Abdul El-Sayedwill be the first muslim senator. AndChris Pappaswill be the first openly gay male senator.$$$: This was themost expensiveelection cycle in U.S. history. But big money fromindividualslike Elon Musk and interest groups like thecrypto industrydidn’t lead to big wins.
It’s The Economy, Stupid: Voters usually turn against the party that’s in power in midterms, especially when they’re dissatisfied with the president and the country’s direction — as they are right now. Roughly three-quarters of votersareangry or dissatisfied with the country’s trajectory — of those, more than one-quarter are Republicans — and Trump has thelowestmidterm approval rating on record. The economy topped voters’ concerns: 75% said it’s not good, more than 85% are worried about high costs, and roughly two-thirds blamed Trump’s policies. But the economy wasn’t the only issue driving the blue wave:The Constitution: Democracy was the second most important issue for voters, according toexit polling, with 33% listing it as their top issue. 71% said Congress isn’t doing enough to check the presidency.Set Things Straight: As we’ve reported, corruption was also a major concern. A stunning 90% of voterssaidit was a big factor in their vote, 62% said Trump prioritizes his own interests over those of the country, and 70% said they believe the system favors the wealthy.The AI Issue: Data centers played a large role in certain contests, likeOhioandTexas, where Democratic candidates argued their opponents put big tech ahead of their constituents. Votersbacked97% of the anti-data center ballot initiatives across 10 states. Trump’s push on renaming AI “SI” apparently didn’t resonate.Mass Deportation: Immigration was abig factorfor 73% of voters, and most think the administration’s enforcement has gone too far. Dozens of voterslefttheir “I voted” stickers at memorials for people killed by ICE.No Dumb Wars: Vice President JD Vance𝕏blamedthe war with Iran for his party’s defeat. Trump admitted the war “was a piece of it,” but said he would do it again,insistingthe “biggest issue is that I wasn’t on the ballot.”
Demographics: Every demographic swung left, preliminary analysissuggests, particularly young voters and those without college degrees. But the most important shift was Hispanic voters, who moved left by 28 points, helping Democrats win competitive — and in some cases gerrymandered — seats in places like Texas and Florida. The administration’s draconian immigration policies played a part, but the economy mattered most: inone poll, more than twice as many Hispanic voters cited the cost of living as their top concern as cited immigration. For more, check out my conversation with Maria Teresa Kumar at the top of this newsletter.
What’s Next: Democrats have a broad mandate. But what should they prioritize? Progressives won across the country,includingin swing districts, on economic populism and issues like Medicare for All. But many moderates also won, and somealready arguecentrism is the path forward. With the two campslikelyto be roughly balanced, leaders will have to find common ground. The upside: A majority this large can afford to lose several votes, making leaders less beholden to either flank.Hand Over the Gavel: Republican House Speaker Mike Johnsonsaidhe will not remain the party’s leader. Republicans will pick a replacement next week. Contenders include Steve Scalise, a close ally of Johnson who[p…