# Democrats’ Biggest Midterm Upsets

> Democrats flip deep-red districts with underfunded campaigns.
- Title: Democrats’ Biggest Midterm Upsets · TIME | Shortify
- Summary: Democrats flip deep-red districts with underfunded campaigns. Democrats won surprise victories in traditionally Republican districts including South…
- Keywords: democrats, midterm elections, south carolina, texas, congressional districts, election results, political upsets, redistricting, TIME
- Source: TIME — https://time.com/article/2026/11/10/midterm-election-results-biggest-democrat-surprise-wins-forecaster-ratings-republican
- Author: Miranda Jeyaretnam
- Published: 2026-11-10T11:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: democrats, midterm elections, south carolina, texas, congressional districts, election results, political upsets, redistricting, news, world
## Democrats’ Midterm Upsets
A TIME analysis found over a dozen House races where Democrats won despite forecasters rating them as Republican-leaning or safe.
## South Carolina Senate Race
Annie Andrews became South Carolina’s first Democratic senator in over two decades, defeating Republican Darline Graham.
## Mississippi Senate Race
Scott Colom, a Democratic district attorney, leads Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi’s Senate race.
## Indiana’s 5th District
J.D. Ford, Indiana’s first openly gay member of Congress, defeated Republican Victoria Spartz with less campaign spending.
## Missouri’s 2nd District
Fred Wellman, a first-time candidate, became Missouri’s first Democrat elected in the district since 1990.
## North Carolina’s 6th District
Cyril Jefferson, the youngest elected mayor of High Point, beat incumbent Addison McDowell with minimal campaign spending.
## North Carolina’s 9th District
Richard Ojeda, a former West Virginia state senator, defeated Republican Richard Hudson, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.
## North Carolina’s 13th District
Paul Barringer, a lawyer and tree farmer, defeated Republican Brad Knott in a district last elected by a Democrat in 2022.
## North Carolina’s 14th District
LaKesha Womack, a political newcomer, beat Republican Tim Moore with minimal campaign spending and no outside support.
## New Jersey’s 2nd District
Zack Mullock, a Cape May mayor, defeated four-term Republican Jeff Van Drew in a district Trump carried by 13 points.
## Nevada’s 2nd District
Teresa Benitez-Thompson became Nevada’s first Democrat elected to the district, winning a race no forecaster rated as even a toss-up.
## Ohio’s 10th District
Kristina Knickerbocker, an Air Force veteran, narrowly defeated Mike Turner in a district last elected by a Democrat in 2010.
## Ohio’s 15th District
Don Leonard, a former Ohio State professor, beat Mike Carey in a district last elected by a Democrat in 2008.
## Texas’s 9th District
Leticia Gutierrez, a first-time candidate, won Texas’s 9th district despite minimal campaign spending and redistricting.
## Texas’s 23rd District
Katy Padilla Stout, a first-time candidate, defeated Republican Brandon Herrera in Texas’s 23rd district.
## South Carolina Senate Race
Annie Andrews became South Carolina’s first woman elected to the Senate since 1998.
## Key takeaway

Democrats won surprise victories in traditionally Republican districts including South Carolina’s first Democratic senator since 1998 and Texas’s 23rd district.