Democrats won a decisive series of battleground races for control of the House and Senate on Tuesday night, denying President Donald Trump a second term in an election that exceeded the party’s highest expectations.
The scale of the victories was historic, with Democrats winning some races by double-digit margins in districts and states that Trump carried just two years ago.
Democrats make major gains in Texas
One of the biggest upsets came in Texas. James Talarico defeated scandal-plagued Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton, while Gina Hinojosa defeated Greg Abbott in the governor’s race. The victories came despite billionaire Elon Musk spending millions on behalf of the Republican Party. No Democrat had won a statewide election in Texas since 1994.
Democrats also won key Senate races in Kansas, South Carolina, Iowa and North Carolina, while holding on to seats in Georgia and New Hampshire, according to the Associated Press.
White House blames economic pressures and Iran war
At the White House, Trump officials told WIRED that high gas prices and rising living costs resulting from the Iran war were the main causes of the Republican Party’s widespread losses.
“If there’s anything good that comes out of tonight for the Republican Party, it’s that a Republican president will never listen to idiots like Mark Levin and Mark Thiessen again,” a source close to the White House said, referring to the two commentators who urged Trump to extend the Iran war.
Exit polls indicated large-scale defections from other parts of Trump’s 2024 coalition. Latino voters shifted toward Democrats as the administration pursued brutal and unpopular immigration policies.
Some officials, speaking candidly on condition of anonymity, privately blamed the president for embroiling the nation in a Middle East conflict. They said Trump mistakenly believes the war will end within weeks, even as it continues with no clear end in sight.
White House responds to the losses
“While President Trump is not on the ballot, there is evidence that Trump supporters show up when President Trump is on the ballot,” White House officials said in a statement.
“Candidate qualifications also matter, and President Trump has done a better job of promoting many of the candidates on the ballot than the candidates themselves,” the official added.
Source: www.wired.com
