Democrats have won full control of both chambers of the US Congress, according to VG, which reported the outcome at 07:21 local time on Wednesday. The party has secured a majority in the Senate and is on course to take the House of Representatives as well. Before the election, Republicans held majorities in both chambers.
The result hands Democrats the votes needed to shape legislation and makes it substantially harder for President Donald Trump to advance his policy agenda, since passing laws requires congressional support.
Why it matters
Control of Congress determines what a president can actually accomplish. With both chambers in Democratic hands, Trump loses the legislative backing he had before the vote, and the party gains the ability to block or reshape his priorities. VG's foreign affairs commentator Ayesha Wolasmal described the outcome as a political earthquake, telling the outlet that the Democrats had delivered a landslide that even exceeded pre-election polling.
Wolasmal, who followed the midterms from the election-night gathering of incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins in Maine, also argued that candidates Trump campaigned for and strongly endorsed suffered the heaviest defeats. She characterised the result as a "kiss of death" from the president — a phrase VG used in its own commentary.
Senate seats flip in several states
Democrats picked up the four additional Senate seats they needed for a majority, VG reports. Among the gains were seats held by Republicans in Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina.
In Texas, the Democratic candidate Talarico becomes the state's first Democratic senator since 1994, according to VG. The outlet reports that the result was met with huge celebration among Texas Democrats as race after race across the country went their way. One young supporter, Lila Romero-Kibler, 20, told VG it was the wildest night of her life. "I can't believe I got to experience this. Completely incredible and unreal. We did it," she said.
VG also reports that Kansas will have its first Democratic senator in 94 years. In South Carolina, Annie Andrews defeated Republican Darline Graham, who had taken over the seat after her brother Lindsey Graham died earlier this year, according to the outlet.
In Georgia, Senator Jon Ossoff, 39, who has held the seat since 2021 and has recently emerged as one of the opposition's most prominent voices, was returned to office. VG notes that Trump had backed his fellow Republican Mike Collins in that race, and that Trump won Georgia in the 2016 and 2024 presidential elections. Ossoff has not yet said whether he will run for president in 2028.
The outlet also reports that Republican Ashley Hinson conceded defeat at an election-night event in Iowa and took no questions from those present.
Trump concedes the result and points to Iran war
Trump acknowledged the outcome in a post on Truth Social at 04:38, according to VG. He wrote that he was not on the ballot, and that if he had been, the result would have been a landslide. "Thank you for your attention," he added.
Stavanger Aftenblad reports that Trump said the war with Iran contributed to the defeat and that he will accept the result. VG notes that the president had repeatedly urged voters to act as though his name were on the ballot.
Dagbladet, meanwhile, reports that Trump lashed out at members of his own party.
What to watch
VG reports that the remaining vote count will determine how large the Democratic Senate majority becomes, provided Republicans do not take any Democratic-held seats. The entire 435-seat House is up for election, along with roughly a third of the Senate — 35 seats. Because most districts are safely red or blue, the contest came down to a limited number of races and candidates, and in a close election it could take several days before control of both chambers is confirmed.
