Democrats Take Red States in 2026 Midterm Upsets

Democratic candidates won U.S. Senate and governorships in five states that Donald Trump carried by wide margins in 2024. Kansas, South Carolina, Texas, Ohio, and Iowa all voted for Democrats on Tuesday, altering the national political map.

In Kansas, Adam Hamilton defeated Republican Sen. Roger Marshall to become the state's first Democratic senator since 1932. Hamilton is a Methodist megachurch pastor. In South Carolina, pediatrician Annie Andrews unseated Republican Sen. Darline Graham, marking the first Democratic Senate win there since 1998.

Texas saw the most extensive Democratic takeover. James Talarico beat Ken Paxton for the Senate. Gina Hinojosa defeated Gov. Greg Abbott, Vikki Goodwin ousted Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Nathan Johnson won the attorney general race against Mayes Middleton. No Democrat had won a statewide office in Texas since 1994.

Midwest results showed similar patterns. Iowa voters selected Rob Sand for governor and Josh Turek for senator. In Ohio, Amy Acton won the governor's race, and Sherrod Brown reclaimed his Senate seat. Brown had lost that seat to Republican Bernie Moreno just two years prior. In this cycle, Brown defeated Republican Sen. Jon Husted.

Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate leader from New York, described the outcome as a "generational remake of the Senate map." Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick conceded the scale of the defeat in Texas, stating it was a "wave election" that swept the country.

Republicans had not predicted these losses when the election cycle began. The results leave open the question of whether these shifts reflect a permanent change in voter alignment or a temporary reaction to President Trump's low approval ratings and economic concerns.

The 2026 midterm elections produced a series of firsts for Democratic candidates in traditionally Republican territories. These outcomes will define the balance of power in the U.S. Senate and state governments for the next two years.