Democratic tidal wave engulfs House

(CN) — Democrats expected a “blue wave” in the 2026 midterm congressional race.What they got was an “extinction-level event,” said Shawn Donahue, a clinical assistant professor of political science at the University at Buffalo.“This is one of the most stunning rebukes of a president that I’ve seen in my lifetime,” Donahue said Wednesday.While results are not yet final, Democrats won control of both the Senate and House of Representatives, with at least 54 Senate seats and a House majority that could exceed 250 of the 435 seats; just 218 seats are required to reach a majority.For Donahue, one of the most surprising outcomes was in North Carolina, where Republican gerrymandering appeared to backfire as U.S. Representative Virginia Foxx trailed Democrat Chuck Hubbard by 99 votes with 99% of votes counted.“I did not have that on my bingo card,” Donahue said. “When you aggressively gerrymander a map, if you have a bad year, it can mean that you can lose most of those seats that you gerrymandered.”Democrats also swept every statewide race in Texas and Georgia. “You look at those maps, and there’s just so much blue on them,” Donahue said.In a strategy that did not pay off, President Donald Trump sought to tap into his base to increase turnout, asking his supporters at rallies to “pretend that I’m on the ballot.”But Trump’s approval rating in some polls hit record lows going into the election, as voters tired of high gas and grocery bills while bankrolling the Iran war.“Trump went around the country saying ‘pretend that I’m on the ballot,’" Donahue said, “and Democrats were like, ‘Hold my beer.’”In the five key House races Courthouse News reported on last month — CA-22, NJ-7, AZ-1, CO-8 and OH-9 — two have already flipped from red to blue, two others are leaning the same way, and incumbent Democratic U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur held onto her seat in Ohio.But as they celebrate the sweeping gains, Democrats in the House will face hurdles both from Trump and within their own party. Tension between establishment Democrats and the progressive wing soared in midterm primaries.“There are some danger signs here, and we’ve got to celebrate, enjoy the wins, but really think very carefully about what comes next,” said Alvin Tillery, a professor of political science at Northwestern University who also works as a Democratic strategist.Voters made clear they want economic relief and for corruption to be reined in, Tillery said. He thought Democrats could have “done even better” if they’d invested in southern states like Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.“One thing that we know is that this kind of Democratic, centrist, moderate, corporate Democrat — whatever you want to call them — their playbook of kind of tacking to the right to appease, you know, white suburban swing voters — that playbook’s dead,” he said.At the helm in both houses, however, are Democrats who have taken just that tack, with Senator Chuck Schumer as Senate majority leader and U.S. Representative Hakeem Jeffries as House speaker.Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., the House minority whip, from left, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., hold hands during a watch party at a hotel on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)Donahue and Tillery agreed the magnitude of the blue wave could take some wind out of the sails of the party’s progressive faction..“If Democrats had a really, really narrow majority, some of these DSA members or DSA-aligned people would, you know, could try to hold the caucus hostage. Not anymore,” Donahue said.Donahue however saw room for Democrats across the board to forge ahead, noting many winning Senate candidates were recruited by Schumer, while others, like Senator-elect Troy Jackson in Maine, were clearly in the “more Bernie [Sanders] wing.”“This win was so broad based that you know, all wings of the Democratic Party can seem to claim some type of victory,” he said.In the wake of his party’s far-reaching defeat, Trump on Tuesday night told voters the election wasn’t a referendum on him. He also shared an image of a red MAGA hat with the word “veto” in capital letters.Tillery expects Trump will use “the same authoritarian tactics that he’s been using” in the first years of his second term to stifle measures even with broad Democratic support, like expanding access to healthcare and raising the federal minimum wage.“I suspect he will, you know, launch new rounds of military strikes to create diversions. I think he will continue his mass deportation campaign,” the professor said.“It’s really interesting that we watch with horror as ICE shot American citizens in the street, but that kind of receded in the actual elections, because the Democrats ran campaigns wholly on prices, right? And I get why — it’s been to their tent — but that stuff’s not going away,” Tillery added.“I think the singular ability of Trump to put a monkey wrench into the Democrats’ plans to address economic pain is going to be interesting to watch,” Tillery said. “The question is: Do any of the Republicans come over to override vetoes? I don’t know. We’ll have to see.”Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads