Democrats seize Senate majority, flipping 5 Republican-held seats in midterms

Democrats reclaimed the Senate majority in the US midterm elections Tuesday, scoring a string of victories in states long dominated by Republicans — including Texas and Kansas — in results expected to pose a significant challenge to President Donald Trump's ability to govern for the remaining two years of his term.

According to the Associated Press and other outlets, Democrats flipped Republican-held seats in Texas, Kansas, Ohio, Iowa and South Carolina to secure their Senate majority.

In Texas, with 69.3 percent of votes counted as of around midnight Eastern time, Democratic candidate James Talarico led Republican Ken Paxton by a wide margin — 58.8 percent to 39.6 percent. The AP called the race for Talarico.

The win marks the first time a Democrat has been elected to the US Senate from Texas since 1988, a span of 38 years. The result is also seen as a political blow to Trump, who backed Paxton — a figure mired in controversy — over incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn.

In Kansas, with 92.1 percent of ballots counted, Democratic candidate Adam Hamilton led incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Marshall 51.5 percent to 45.5 percent and was projected to win. Kansas has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1932.

Should both Talarico and Hamilton's victories hold, the results would rank among the most stunning upsets in modern American political history.

In the battleground state of Ohio, with 88.6 percent of votes counted, Democratic candidate Sherrod Brown led incumbent Republican Sen. Jon Husted 48.7 percent to 46.4 percent and was projected to win.

Ohio is the state where Vice President JD Vance previously served as a senator and is considered a leading Republican contender for the next presidential race. Both Trump and Vance made multiple campaign visits to Ohio in an effort to hold the seat, but the party appeared headed for defeat.

In Iowa, another contested state, Democratic candidate Josh Turek was projected to defeat Republican Ashley Hinson 50.7 percent to 46.2 percent, with 92.7 percent of votes tallied.

In Maine, CNN projected Democratic candidate Troy Jackson the winner with 52.7 percent of the vote, with 67.1 percent counted. Incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who received 47.2 percent, conceded defeat.

With those results, Democrats swept all five Republican-held seats among the seven states considered competitive in the final stretch of the campaign.

Democrats also flipped North Carolina — where Roy Cooper was the candidate — and South Carolina, where Annie Andrews defeated the Republican incumbent, bringing their total to seven Republican-held seats flipped and putting the party on track for a firm Senate majority of 53 seats.

The remaining two of the seven battleground states were still too close to call.

In Michigan, a Democratic-held seat, the race remained extremely tight with only 44.0 percent of votes counted — Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed at 49.5 percent and Republican Mike Rogers at 48.5 percent.

Alaska, where a controversy erupted over candidates sharing the same name, had not yet finished voting.

In Nebraska, with 54.8 percent of ballots counted, independent candidate Dan Osborn and incumbent Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts remained locked in a tight race at 47.5 percent and 46.7 percent, respectively.

Democrats were projected to hold Senate seats in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, Colorado, New Mexico and Oregon.

Republicans were projected to hold seats in West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming.