# Democrats sweep US midterms in historic shift

> Democrats take Senate and House in 2026 midterms, flipping traditionally Republican states including Texas, Iowa and South Carolina.
- Title: Democrats sweep US midterms in historic shift · BBC News
- Summary: Democrats take Senate and House in 2026 midterms, flipping traditionally Republican states including Texas, Iowa and South Carolina. Democrats won control of…
- Keywords: us midterm elections 2026, democrats, senate, house of representatives, south carolina, texas, iowa, ohio, maine, michigan, alaska, mississippi
- Source: BBC News — https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm4g1j0n92qdo
- Published: 2026-11-04T04:47:08.113+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: us midterm elections 2026, democrats, senate, house of representatives, south carolina, texas, iowa, ohio, maine, michigan, alaska, mississippi
## Democrats win Senate and House
Democrats have taken control of both chambers of Congress in the 2026 US midterms, delivering results beyond what the party expected.
## South Carolina flips after 28 years
South Carolina returned a Democratic senator for the first time since 1998, a huge shock after the state had been deep red for many years.
## Texas, Iowa, Ohio and Maine turn blue
Texas moved nine points towards the Democrats compared with the 2024 Senate race. Iowa, Ohio and Maine also flipped Democratic, while Kansas elected its first Democratic senator since 1932.
## Women voters drove the shift
A poll of voters shows women turned out in large numbers and most voted Democrat. Men were evenly split between the two main parties.
## Economy and democracy shaped votes
Voters named the economy as the biggest issue, followed by the state of democracy. More than two-thirds believed Donald Trump's policies had made economic conditions worse.
## Key takeaway

Democrats won control of both the Senate and House in the 2026 US midterms, flipping multiple Republican-held seats including South Carolina, which had not elected a Democratic senator since 1998.