What happened

Democrats won this week in districts and states that President Trump carried by double digits just two years ago, and the party now holds its largest Senate majority since the Affordable Care Act passed during Barack Obama's early presidency. But the final shape of the new Congress is still not set: Senate results from Alaska and Mississippi are still pending, and a few tight House races remain uncalled.

If Alaska and Mississippi favor Democrats, their Senate majority could grow to 54, plus the two independents who caucus with them. The swing toward Democrats already rivals the post-Nixon Watergate backlash, NPR's Tamara Keith said on Up First.

Two races stood out. In Nevada's 2nd District, which has been Republican since the 1980s, Democrat Teresa Benitez-Thompson claimed victory overnight. In Alabama's 2nd District, Shomari Figures overcame redistricting that favored Trump by 14 points and won by more than seven points.

Mike Johnson plans to step down as top House Republican in the new Congress after a tough defeat for his party, according to a source familiar with his plans who was not authorized to discuss them publicly. Voters also decided 146 ballot measures across 39 states, Washington, D.C., and the Northern Mariana Islands, covering taxes, transgender rights, traffic cameras and data centers.

Why it matters

For more than a year, Democrats urged voters to elect them to lower costs and eliminate corruption. Now they have to act on that promise. The new Congress is unlikely to see much major legislation signed into law, but Democrats plan to launch [ambitious investigations](/article/democrats-plan-trump-investigations-new-congress) in the House and Senate.

Most legislation still requires 60 votes to pass the Senate, which limits what a majority can do on its own. Trump has fluctuated between saying he will be "Mr. Veto" and expressing willingness to work with Democrats, NPR's Sam Gringlas said.

Democrats say they want to restore enhanced health subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, reverse Medicaid cuts, assert control over tariffs and push to end the war with Iran. The pressure to deliver is real: one voter Gringlas met this summer said that if Democrats gained control, they would have to enact real changes, or it would not matter who they nominated for president in 2028.

What it means for the US

Voters tied Trump's signature policies to their own bills. They associated tariffs and the war in Iran with rising inflation and gas prices, and that connection showed up in the results.

A Democratic Congress means gridlock for much of Trump's agenda, and Democrats could use stricter funding controls on immigration enforcement and the ongoing conflict in Iran. A new Democratic majority could pressure Trump to end the war in Iran, though directly influencing fuel prices will be challenging because they are tied to the international oil market.

The split inside the Republican Party is now public too. After Vice President JD Vance [posted on social media that the war in Iran contributed to GOP losses](/article/vance-blames-iran-war-midterm-losses-trump-split), Trump somewhat agreed, citing the war's impact on pump prices, but said he would act the same way again if he had to.

What happens next

All eyes are on Alaska and Mississippi, plus the handful of House races still uncalled. Those results will set the final margins and decide how much room Democrats have to maneuver.

Johnson's planned exit sets up a leadership change for House Republicans, while Democrats prepare to take the gavel. Hakeem Jeffries is [poised to become the first Black House speaker](/article/jeffries-poised-first-black-house-speaker) when the new Congress convenes.

Trump, in his first public appearance after the losses, focused on his East Wing ballroom construction project and said he was not to blame for his party's defeat. He noted he was not actually on the ballot, though he had urged voters to imagine he was. The next test comes when the new Congress takes up funding, tariffs and the Iran war.