Democrats were elected to deliver change. Now, they must pivot to governing.

Washington | Nov. 04, 2026, 2:53 p.m. ET | 4 min read Democrats awoke Wednesday morning relishing a sweeping midterm election victory. In reliably red areas such as Kansas, Democrats won seats they hadn’t held for decades. In races supposed to be tight, such as for Texas’ U.S. Senate seat, they won by double digits. They’ll have at least 54 members in the Senate and are expected to have as much as an 81-seat majority in the House. “The American people just impeached Donald Trump,” wrote Democratic Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly on X Tuesday night.Democrats know that Americans want them to address rising gas prices caused by the war in Iran, to end the war, to lower the cost of living, and to tackle government corruption. “Americans voted for change, and now Democrats must deliver,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer at a news conference Tuesday. Mr. Schumer is poised to become majority leader when the new Congress convenes in January.But Donald Trump is still president, and Democrats won’t have a veto-proof majority in either chamber. Some party members might also want to prioritize political fights, such as investigations or impeachment. “[The election] was a historically forceful rebuke of the president and his agenda,” says Marc Farinella, a senior adviser to the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy. “But there are a lot of Democrats who I think are expecting dramatic change to come of this, and that needs to be tempered.” One key, analysts say, will be whether voters see Democrats as seriously attempting to address the problems they’ve raised, or if the new Congress prioritizes political battles. What Democrats can doIt will be much easier for Democrats to investigate President Trump and his allies than to pass new laws, despite the House and Senate majorities they will enjoy. Nathan Howard/ReutersSupporters greet Democratic Sen.-elect Adam Hamilton following his election victory on Tuesday, in Overland Park, Kansas, Nov. 3, 2026. “The electorate clearly wants something different than we had,” says Steven Huefner, deputy director of election law at Ohio State University. “But it won’t be easy for Democrats to deliver, because ... Trump can veto anything they do.” Lawmakers slated to be committee leaders have outlined plans to publicly scrutinize the Trump administration over everything from immigration enforcement operations to the Trump family’s crypto dealings to DOGE’s government-slashing efforts in 2025. “LAWYER UP,” wrote Rep. Robert Garcia of California, who is expected to head the House Oversight Committee, late Tuesday on X.Democrats are divided on whether to try to impeach the president for a third time. Some say it would waste time and effort without addressing voters’ real concerns. Analysts say it’s more likely Democrats will vote to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, whose leadership of the Pentagon is expected to face congressional scrutiny. A two-thirds vote in the Senate is required to convict someone who has been impeached. Still, even a few Republican senators showing interest in voting for a conviction could pressure officials like Mr. Hegseth to resign. Holding the Senate majority also means Democrats can block the president’s nominations. While most bills effectively require 60 votes to pass in the Senate, confirmations for positions such as district judges or Cabinet officials require only a simple majority. (The vice president can break a 50-50 tie.) “It’s very easy to imagine maybe a policy of almost no judges being confirmed,” says John Fortier, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.Democrats are likely to try to use the power of the purse – Congress’ ability to direct government funding – to block the president’s priorities. That could mean refusing to sign off on administration requests, including $67 billion to sustain the war in Iran. Eric Lee/ReutersA jogger runs near the U.S. Capitol Building at sunrise, Nov. 4, 2026. They also have some leverage in two upcoming “must-pass” bills: annual appropriations to fund the government and a bill setting defense policy. Democrats could try to slip in provisions that would limit the president’s use of executive power – for example, asserting Congress’ authority over how government funds are spent.Presidential powerIn other areas, Democrats are likely to struggle to achieve their priorities. Mr. Trump has threatened to use his veto power generously, though he also told Politico’s Dasha Burns on Tuesday that he doesn’t want to “be just sitting there for two years vetoing everything.”Matthew Green, a professor of politics at Catholic University, suggests Democrats’ best option may be to pass bills targeting unpopular administration actions – such as measures to roll back tariffs or undo healthcare cuts – even if the president won’t sign them into law. That would at least signal to voters that Democrats are focused on things the majority of Americans want, he says. “If they choose to focus on narrow issues that are really only appealing to the far left, that could be problematic for them.” Deepen your worldviewwith Monitor Highlights.Politics with respectGet political stories with respectful analysis.There‘s a world of new ideas in everyBooks newsletter.There‘s more to life, enrich yours withCulture & Learning weekly.Follow humanity‘s discoveries withScience & Nature stories in your inbox.Gain a spiritual perspectivefrom the stories in your inbox.Want to understand the deeper impact of critical events? Learn the Monitor‘s insight.Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads. Two of the Democrats’ major priorities will be difficult for them to act on: ending the Iran war and putting limits on immigration enforcement. The president has broad power in foreign affairs, and while Democrats can pressure the administration through oversight or funding authority, they can’t take concrete action to end the war absent significant Republican support. Republican-passed bills fund immigration enforcement through the end of Mr. Trump’s term. Democrats could still try to use investigations to put scrutiny on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but clawing back that funding would be very difficult. ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LoginReal news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.The Christian Science Monitor was founded in 1908 to lift the standard of journalism and uplift humanity. We aim to “speak the truth in love.” Our goal is not to tell you what to think, but to give you the essential knowledge and understanding to come to your own intelligent conclusions. Join us in this mission by subscribing.