Democrats reclaim both chambers as historic wins sweep the nation
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms becomes the first Black female governor, while Republicans cede control of Congress in a night of firsts.
By Giulia Marshall ·
Democratic candidates took control of both chambers of Congress on Tuesday night, flipping key seats in states from Texas to Maine. The sweep included a historic victory in Georgia, where former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms won the governor’s race. She became the first Black woman to serve as a U.S. governor and the first Democrat to hold the office in the state since 1998.
Bottoms defeated Republican challenger Rick Jackson by a margin of more than 360,000 votes. Jackson conceded the race in a statement, saying voters spoke and he respected their decision. The result capped a night in which Democrats held the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Jon Ossoff and won every other major state race in Georgia.
Ossoff secured reelection with an 18-point lead over Mike Collins. Other Georgia Democrats who won their races include Josh McLaurin for lieutenant governor, Penny Brown Reynolds for secretary of state, and Tanya Miller for attorney general. McLaurin won 55.9% of the vote, while Reynolds and Miller both exceeded 55%. Democrats also swept the races for insurance commissioner, labor commissioner, school superintendent, and agriculture commissioner.
In Fulton County, Democrat Mo Ivory won the County Commission chair with 75% of the vote. He defeated Republican Eric Tatum. Ivory’s victory was part of a broader Democratic sweep in local offices, including the unseating of Republican Commissioner Bridget Thorne by Maggie Goldman. In unincorporated DeKalb County, residents of Northlake voted to annex the area into the city of Tucker.
Nationally, Democrats won at least 220 House seats to 128 for Republicans, with 87 races still uncalled. They also secured at least 53 Senate seats, including two independents who caucus with them, against 42 for Republicans. Five Senate races remain outstanding. These results give Democrats a majority in both the House and the Senate for the first time in several years.
The Senate flips included several firsts. Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan became the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. Rev. Adam Hamilton of Kansas became the state’s first Democratic senator since 1932. Troy Jackson of Maine unseated five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins. In South Carolina, Dr. Annie Andrews defeated Sen. Darline Graham, who had been appointed to the seat after her brother, Lindsey Graham, died in July.
In Texas, James Talarico defeated Ken Paxton to claim the first statewide Democratic victory in the state since 1994. In North Carolina, former Governor Roy Cooper beat Michael Whatley. In Mississippi, Scott Colom leads Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith by 28 votes in a race still too close to call. A win would make him the first Democrat to win a Senate race there since 1982.
Governor’s races also produced historic outcomes. Deb Haaland of New Mexico became the first Native American woman elected governor. Rob Sand of Iowa became the first Democrat elected governor in the state in 20 years. Gina Hinojosa of Texas ousted Governor Greg Abbott. David Crowley of Wisconsin became the state’s first Black governor. Dr. Amy Acton defeated Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio.
President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. will end its roughly $4 billion in annual military aid to Israel by year’s end. The move reportedly surprised Israeli defense and finance officials. Meanwhile, a convicted murderer who escaped from a Tennessee prison last week was captured after a nine-day manhunt.
