Why the Midterm Elections Made History

James Talarico, who was elected to the US Senate on Tuesday, is one of several Democrats to win a statewide race in Texas for the first time in decades.Brandon Bell/Getty Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily. A blue wave engulfed Republicans in this year’s midterm elections. Democrats throughout the country soundly defeated GOP candidates, giving them at least 54 seats in the US Senate and a majority in the House of Representatives. But it was where they won that was so shocking. Texas, South Carolina, Kansas, and Iowa all elected Democrats to the Senate, while a number of House districts that previously supported President Donald Trump turned against the GOP. “This was an extinction-level event for Republicans in some red and purple areas,” says Mother Jones national voting rights correspondent Ari Berman. “Every possible thing you thought could go right for Democrats by and large did. And that’s not really what people expected going into the night.” On this week’s More To The Story, Berman talks with host Al Letson about this potentially transformational moment in American politics, how redistricting backfired on Republicans, and what the 2026 midterm results could mean for the presidential race in 2028. Find More To The Story on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pandora, or your favorite podcast app, and don’t forget to subscribe.