Democrats have seized control of both chambers of the US Congress, marking a major political shift in Washington and dealing a significant electoral setback to President Donald Trump, according to projections by CNN.
The party is projected to retake the House of Representatives, ending the Republicans’ hold on the chamber and setting the stage for two years of confrontation with the Trump administration.
Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries is expected to become the next House speaker, making him the first Black person to hold the position.
In the Senate, Democrats are projected to flip at least three seats, securing control of the chamber. The gains include Texas, where Democrat James Talarico is projected to defeat Republican Ken Paxton.
Democrats are also projected to make gains in North and South Carolina. In South Carolina, Democrat Annie Andrews is projected to defeat Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, according to CNN.
Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff has retained his seat in Georgia, defeating Republican Mike Collins, according to Associated Press projections.
Results from across the United States have been coming in as polling stations close in different time zones.
The Democratic victories will significantly reshape the balance of power in Washington, giving the party greater authority to scrutinise the Trump administration, influence legislation and challenge the president’s policy agenda over the next two years.
President Donald Trump has blamed Iran and rising fuel prices for the Republican Party’s heavy losses in the midterm elections, Al Jazeera reports.
Trump said Democrats would push what he described as “insane” proposals if they gained control of Congress, vowing to veto them.
“Democrats will send things that are insane and I will veto them,” he said.
He also cited Iran as one of the reasons behind the Republicans’ poor performance, suggesting that voters were unwilling to bear the short-term economic consequences of higher fuel prices.
“People were probably not willing for the short-term consequence of the price of gasoline,” Trump said.
“Michigan, we did it,” Abdul El-Sayed told his supporters, even as votes were still being counted.