2026 United States elections

2026 election developments and analysis

Voters' views of Trump's presidency were an important factor in the election. During the 2025 off-year elections, exit polls found that many voted against Trump or said he was not a factor. Surveys released in late 2025 and early 2026 found that many viewed Trump's handling of the economy and immigration, two issues that propelled him to victory in the 2024 election, negatively. During elections held in his first term, Trump was on the minds of many who voted. In September 2026, Trump featured in a two-day midterm convention in Dallas to rally support and raise funds—historically, this type of event is reserved for presidential election years, although the Democratic National Committee had previously held midterm-year party conferences in 1974, 1978, and 1982. Many Republicans on the ballot attended, but many also chose to forgo the event, which RNC Chairman Joe Gruters dubbed a "Trump-a-Palooza".

During one of Trump's two convention speeches, he offered every adult American $5,000 if Republicans win the election, calling it a "Trump dividend". Trump's own senior advisors were unaware at the time of the announcement that this pronouncement was coming, and some of his advisors disapproved of the offer, with one calling it a naked effort to "bribe" people for votes. The offer drew much criticism and questions about the feasibility of the pledge, which would cost over $1.2 trillion.

The outbreak of the 2026 Iran war on February 28 introduced further complications, with rising gasoline prices and other economic challenges emerging as central electoral concerns. Analysts argued that gasoline prices represented the most direct channel through which the costs of the Iran war were transmitted to American voters, and that domestic electoral pressure from fuel costs was a primary political driver behind the Trump administration's push toward a ceasefire ahead of the November midterms. During his 2024 re-election campaign, Trump repeatedly assured voters his second term would involve "no new wars". Polling released by CNN in September 2026 showed that only 26% of voters approved of the Trump administration's handling of Iran. In response to the general unpopularity and economic concerns of the Iran war, several Republican candidates have distanced themselves from Trump and his approach to the war and have called for operations in Iran to end. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer compared the political environment in 2026 to the one in 2006, when dissatisfaction with George W. Bush's handling of the Iraq War led to many Democratic victories in the elections that year. Democratic candidates have leveraged the unpopularity of the war as a campaign point.

The nearly seven-month-old war in Iran became a political liability for some Republican candidates ahead of the November midterms. In September 2026, two Republicans in tight Senate races—Mike Rogers of Michigan and Ashley Hinson of Iowa—called for a swift end to the conflict, distancing themselves from President Trump. Hinson, who had voted six times against measures to curb Trump's war powers, said Iowans "shouldn't have to foot the bill at the pump or the checkout line for the war in Iran." Rogers, who had previously backed Trump's strikes, released a campaign ad urging that the war "end and end quickly". The shift came as Trump's approval rating fell to 32%, a career low, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, with Americans souring on both his handling of the economy and the war. Diesel prices reached record highs, a particular concern in Iowa, where agriculture plays an outsized role in the state's economy. Other Republicans also moved to distance themselves: Iowa Representatives Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks reversed their stances and voted to limit Trump's war powers, while Representative Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida warned that Trump's immigration crackdown had gone too far. Democrats characterized the moves as election-year repositioning. By mid-October, the same polling series put Trump's approval at 31%—a record low for either of his terms and a point below where it stood two weeks earlier. The same Reuters/Ipsos survey had Democrats ahead of Republicans 47% to 35% on the generic congressional ballot, a 12-point gap that was the widest of the election cycle.

The administration's immigration policies, including deportations by ICE due to strengthened funding via the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, were also scrutinized. Polling found that Hispanics, who were considered a key reason for Trump's victory in the 2024 election, overwhelmingly disapproved of Trump and had largely swung back towards Democrats due to economic concerns and dissatisfaction of Trump's handling of immigration and deportation. An October Reuters/Ipsos poll found that majorities said the cost of living was their top issue for the election and that 76% of Americans blamed Trump's policies for increasing inflation, including 57% of Republicans. Signs of an enthusiasm gap between Republican and Democratic voters were noted by analysts as possibly forecasting a Democratic "blue wave". In September 2026, American political analyst Charlie Cook described this phenomenon as a "red undertow", arguing that anticipated Democratic victories would come not from a rising Democratic tide, but a drowning Trump brand.

A month before the election, polling consistently found that Democratic candidates were leading key races for state governorships and those that would determine control of the Senate, with large swings towards Democratic candidates by independent voters. The New York Times highlighted how Kansas, a state that had not elected a Democratic Senator since the Great Depression, had become a competitive battleground amid an unexpected surge of Democratic support deep in Republican territory. Furthermore, a poll commissioned by The Washington Post and George Mason University had to deal with the unusual issue of far fewer Republicans (12%) willing to respond than Democrats (32%), an exceptional gap. Democratic support came amidst multiple polls finding record-low approval ratings for Trump which some analysts considered was negatively impacting down-ballot races. Trump repeatedly told voters to pretend he was on the ballot to increase Republican enthusiasm. Both Democrats and some analysts considered this instruction to voters a mistake, due to Trump's low approval ratings. Increasing concerns about the Republicans' position in the November midterm elections have exposed tensions within Donald Trump's political structure. According to Reuters, Trump criticized his advisers for their election strategy, including decisions related to campaign spending and candidate selection. This is despite polls suggesting that Democrats could gain control of the House of Representatives.

In October, the Trump administration called for Ukraine to replace Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the nation's president and struck a deal with Russia to purchase the country's fuel in an effort to bring down diesel prices before the elections, and deepened Russian-American cooperation. The fuel deal was criticized by Democrats and some Republicans for undercutting the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which allowed the president to waive tariffs or sanctions if he certified to Congress that doing so was in the national interest of the United States. Some Democratic lawmakers were concerned about Trump unilaterally lifting the sanctions against Russia, justifying their opposition to the bill.

Julian E. Zelizer has drawn a comparison between the 1966 and 2026 midterm elections. Writing for Foreign Policy in October 2026, he noted that the Republican campaign of 1966 focused on the economic cost of the Vietnam War, including growing federal deficits and inflation. He argued that the economic impact of the war in Iran, which had driven consumer prices up, gave Democrats an opening similar to the one Republicans had seized in 1966. Zelizer acknowledged that the Iran war had not reached the scale of Vietnam and likely never would, but said its economic effects had nonetheless been considerable—and in some respects clearer—and that the war had been unpopular from the outset.

Political analyst Natalie Jackson told Al Jazeera that the polling pointed to a "pretty favorable" environment for Democrats. She traced this to public frustration with Trump and the economy—high costs driven in part by tariffs and the war in Iran—and said the prevailing mood was that Republicans had failed to deliver over the past two years.

Attempted election subversion by Republicans

In January 2026, The Washington Post reported that the second Trump administration had undertaken several tactics, including mid-decade redrawing of congressional districts for partisan gain, prosecution of political opponents, and a push to change voting methods and rules, that were meant to undermine confidence in the midterm elections. In October 2026, a New York Times analysis found Trump had attacked the integrity of US elections more than 70% of the days since he returned to office, particularly with false claims about "rigged" voting machines and fraudulent mail-in ballots.

Upon returning to office, the Trump administration has dismantled election security efforts across the federal government. Such cuts have included: firing or reassigning personnel at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency focused on elections; defunding training programs for the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center; eliminating the FBI's foreign influence taskforce; downsizing and announcing closure of the Foreign Malign Influence Center; and firing all members of the independent Election Assistance Commission.

Trump appointed prominent 2020 election deniers into positions in government that could oversee the voting process. In the lead up to the election, pro-Trump conspiracy theorists and election deniers have won local races responsible for overseeing election results, and several election deniers are running for electoral offices in battleground states.

Louisiana v. Callais

White House media ban

In September 2026, Trump barred CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House grounds. The three outlets filed suit, arguing that the ban violated due process and First Amendment protections. The move drew criticism from Republican strategists, who warned that it diverted attention from economic issues ahead of the midterms.

Cost of living

The economy, including gas prices, inflation, healthcare, tariffs, and cost of living, is one of the primary issues of the election. The second Trump administration imposed the largest tax increase in American history in April 2025, with an expected six trillion dollars in returned taxation if maintained until 2035, on much of the world with the intent to re-industrialize the United States. It was criticized by experts and global leaders for worsening inflation.

Fuel costs were increased by the 2026 Iran war. The Trump administration announced in October 2026 that it would buy diesel from Russia and suspend sanctions on Russian diesel until April 2027. The move was intended to lower fuel prices before the November elections. A group of seven senators—four Republicans and three Democrats—criticized the decision. They said it violates the 2022 congressional ban on Russian energy imports. They also said the administration neither consulted Congress nor gave the required legal justification. At the same time, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the agreement, saying the government was acting under existing legal authority and that the deal would reduce prices. Trade, including tariffs, was a leading issue of the campaign season.

Data released on October 14, 2026, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed US annual inflation rising to 3.7 per cent in September. That marked an increase from 3.4 per cent in August and exceeded the 3.6 per cent forecast by economists in a Bloomberg poll. It was the first uptick since May. Core inflation, which leaves out food and energy, also surpassed Wall Street expectations, climbing to 2.6 per cent from 2.4 per cent the month before.

Inequality and healthcare access

Health and income inequality in the United States continued to increase. There is increasing support for a universal healthcare system, with the nation having a far lower lifespan than comparable wealthy countries. The United States is one of a few wealthy democracies without a universal healthcare system.

A survey that was conducted by Harvard University found that more than "two-thirds of young Americans (68%) view the power of large corporations as a serious threat to their long-term financial security, while 62% say the same about the wealth and power of billionaires. Concern about corporate power crosses party lines, including 81% of young Democrats, 67% of Independents, and 60% of Republicans. They also wrote on November 3, 2026 that "Support for Medicare for All and a wealth tax points to an economic populist thread that extends beyond young Democrats. Majorities favor creating a national health insurance program (57%) and establishing a 2% annual tax on household wealth above $50 million (54%). Both proposals receive majority support among Democrats (75% and 70%, respectively) and independents (55% and 52%), along with support from roughly four in ten Republicans (39% and 42%)."

Corruption

According to a September 2026 Gallup poll, 89% of people believe that there is pervasive corruption within the US government. While in office, Trump has engaged in unprecedented self-enrichment and faced widespread allegations of corruption. Trump's grants of pardons and clemency have favored political allies and loyalists, with several given after millions in donations or fees.

Trump has proactively solicited donations from companies and individuals following which favorable regulatory actions and decisions have occurred. He has maintained an active stock market account with thousands of trades totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. Trump has directly benefited by soliciting his own memecoin, $TRUMP and from his family's cryptocurrency company World Liberty Financial which has received investments by anonymous individuals and foreign governments.

According to analysis from The New York Times, anonymous political contributions to the midterm elections, known as "dark money", exceeded $1 billion by late August. This funding is funneled into Super PACs through nonprofit organizations and shell companies, allowing donors to remain undisclosed.

Democracy

The United States has suffered from political dysfunction and immense erosion in democratic health. Polling indicated that voters are afraid of the nation becoming authoritarian. The large majority of Americans favor major changes to the nation's political system, including abolishing the electoral college and replacing it with a direct popular vote, implementing campaign spending limits, and age limits for the Supreme Court of the United States. The Senate also become a subject for reform, and according to The Week is one of the "most unloved institutions" in the country. The second Trump administration was hallmarked by a massive increase in funding and power for the agencies United States Customs and Border Protection and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The agencies conducted raids and throughout mostly Democratic cities, resulting in the killings of protestors Alex Pretti and Renee Good. The government used the Alien Enemies Act to deport both non-citizens and citizens.

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) was a leading concern for voters. Opposition to water, energy, and pollution–intensive data centers, and AI more broadly, emerged as an unexpected issue during the election. The Brookings Institution described the backlash as part of a broader opposition against "AI power".

Concerns included widespread unemployment through artificial general intelligence's development, imposition of mass surveillance, and the existential risk of superintelligence to humanity. A bipartisan group in Congress of conservatives, liberals, socialists, and populists has united in opposition to transhumanist and post-humanist ideals in AI development, including Republican senator Josh Hawley, right-wing populist Steve Bannon, Democratic representative Greg Casar, and independent senator Bernie Sanders. On September 29, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order to replace the term artificial intelligence with super intelligence (SI) in official communications and documents. The order mandates all government agencies to use this terminology, including for technologies that do not fit the accepted definition of superintelligence.

According to Harvard, "Nearly two-thirds of young Americans (64%) see AI replacing jobs as a serious threat to their financial security. Concern crosses party lines: 76% of young Democrats and 61% of both Republicans and independents regard it as a serious threat."

Mass surveillance

The Trump administration has implemented mass surveillance in the United States through the development of artificial intelligence technologies. Flock cameras and other video surveillance have been rapidly constructed on American streets since the beginning of his term, with Trump saying that "I like them" in September 2026. There have been arguments made that the U.S. is taking on the characteristics of a surveillance state.

Democrats have called for stricter privacy laws modeled on the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation. Republicans have generally believed that mass survelliance improves safety, and that individuals should be willing to give up aspects of privacy in return for protection.

Foreign policy

Expansionism

These paragraphs are an excerpt from American expansionism under Donald Trump.[edit]

Throughout both of his presidencies, U.S. president Donald Trump has expressed a desire to expand the United States' territory and influence through both land purchases and military means.

Trump first stated his desire to annex Greenland during his first presidency; he has pursued a campaign to acquire Greenland during his second presidency. He has also suggested annexation or taking control of Canada, Iceland, Mexico, Cuba, the Panama Canal and Gaza Strip. After proposing an invasion of Venezuela during his first presidency, Trump's second administration removed President Nicolás Maduro as part of Operation Absolute Resolve and stated the U.S. would "run" Venezuela; the Venezuelan government, led by acting president Delcy Rodríguez, remains in place but is far more amicable to American interests than it was under Maduro. Threats were also made against Colombia and then-president Gustavo Petro, which Trump accused of drug trafficking. Amid the 2026 Iran war, Trump lauded about invading and seizing control of both the Strait of Hormuz and Kharg Island from Iran.

Trump's determination to treat the Western Hemisphere as a U.S. sphere of influence has been characterized as a revival of the Monroe Doctrine in what has become known as the Donroe Doctrine. On his orders, U.S. federal agencies adopted new names for shared international waters, renaming the Gulf of Mexico as "Gulf of America" in 2025 and Lake Ontario as "Lake America" in 2026. Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the second Trump administration's foreign policy as a matter of operating as a superpower nation and for national security purposes. Numerous politicians outside the U.S. have criticized Trump's annexation comments. The Democratic Party has introduced bills to prevent the Trump administration from invading countries without the approval of Congress.

Religious conflicts, rift with the Holy See

Since Pope Leo XIV's election as Pope in 2025, the Trump administration has made direct attacks on the Pope, the Catholic Church, and the Holy See that were described by scholars as historically unparalleled by any Western government. The issue saw widespread attention during the election, and Mainline Protestants, Catholics, and evangelical Protestants shifted by double-digits in polling towards Independent and Democratic candidates, alleging that Trump's policies, behavior, and political agenda were in direct contradiction to the tenets of Christian morality.^{[failed verification]}

After genocidal threats were made by Donald Trump to Iran on April 7 saying "a whole civilization will die", Pope Leo XIV called for peace. On April 12, 2026, President Donald Trump directly criticized the pope in a Truth Social post, writing that "Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy", and "catering to the Radical Left". Marco Politi, a long time Vatican observer and author, stated: "You have to jump back to the Middle Ages when kings and emperors were shouting against the pope in Rome and calling him false. There is just no other recent example like this." Academic Andrew Chestnut stated, "I cannot think of any parallels, at least coming from Western Christian majority countries, of such pointed and public attacks on the Pope."

Another dispute between the Holy See and the Trump administration emerged in the last two weeks of the midterm election, after "12 clergymen joined Trump on Thursday in the Oval Office", for what Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee has said was intended to be a private meeting to discuss matters such as "immigration enforcement, religious worker visas, and human dignity" but was falsely portrayed by the administration as a midterm religious endorsement. Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines said that the meeting had been "exploited" and that "there are many things tied to this present [Trump] Administration that are blatantly at odds with our Catholic faith." Pope Leo XIV, who retained his American citizenship after becoming pontiff, voted by mail in the midterm election for his home state of Illinois, becoming the first pope to vote in a secular election.

Senate elections

2026 United States elections

Map of 2026 Senate incumbents:   Democratic hold   Democratic gain   Republican hold   No election

Thirty-five seats in the United States Senate were up for election, including all 33 Class 2 seats. Republicans had gained majority control of the Senate in the 2024 elections by flipping four Democratic seats. Although Republicans had to defend 22 of the 35 seats up for election, all but two of those seats (in Maine and North Carolina) were in states that President Trump won by at least ten points in the 2024 presidential election. Two Democratic-held seats up for election, Georgia and Michigan, were in states won by Trump in 2024.

Democrats won control of the Senate in 2026, defending every Democratic-held seat up for election and picking up several seats in Republican-leaning territory. Adam Hamilton became the first Democrat to win a Senate election in Kansas since 1932, while James Talarico of Texas, Annie Andrews of South Carolina, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Josh Turek of Iowa, Jon Ossoff of Georgia and Roy Cooper of North Carolina all won Senate seats in states that Trump had won in 2024. Reacting to these victories, New York Times political analyst Nate Cohn said "there's simply no modern precedent for either party to do so well in states that had leaned so heavily toward the other side", highlighting Democratic victories in Kansas and Texas as especially significant due to their traditional Republican lean. Additionally, in Maine, Democrat Troy Jackson defeated five-term incumbent Susan Collins.

House of Representatives elections

All 435 voting seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election. Additionally, elections were held to select the non-voting delegate for the District of Columbia and the non-voting delegates from 4 of the 5 U.S. territories, excluding Puerto Rico due to its non-voting delegate serving a 4-year term. There were 16 Democratic incumbents in districts Donald Trump won, while only 8 Republican incumbents were in seats won by Harris. The House map featured a number of new congressional maps: Ohio and Utah had new, court-mandated congressional districts this cycle; North Carolina and Texas redrew their maps mid-cycle; and the district map was changed in California following the passage of Prop 50. Missouri Republicans also sought to implement a new congressional map, but their effort failed after a long-running legal battle through state and federal court systems.

Democrats won control of the House of Representatives in 2026, winning numerous races across the country, including in districts that had voted for Trump by a large margin in 2024. Several races remain uncalled, but Democrats won at least 250 seats, their highest total since the Republican victory in the 2010 House of Representatives elections. Democrats picked up a net of at least two seats in each of Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Among the defeated Republican incumbents were National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Chair Richard Hudson of North Carolina, the first sitting NRCC chairman to ever be defeated in a general election.

Generic congressional ballot aggregate polls

Gubernatorial elections

36 states and three territories held regularly scheduled gubernatorial elections. The governors of 15 states and two territories were term-limited. Prior to the 2026 gubernatorial elections, Republicans controlled 26 of the 50 state governorships, and each party held 18 state governorships up for election. Republicans had held a majority of the state governorships since the 2010 elections.

Democrats won control of a majority of U.S. state governorships in the 2026 gubernatorial elections, in part due to a series of victories in Republican-leaning states. Democrats swept every statewide race in Texas, with Gina Hinojosa becoming the first Democrat to win the Texas gubernatorial election since the 1990 Texas gubernatorial election. Keisha Lance Bottoms won the Georgia gubernatorial election, the first Democrat to do so since the 1998 Georgia gubernatorial election. Amy Acton in Ohio and Rob Sand in Iowa became the first Democrats to win their respective states since the 2006 elections. In Nevada, Democrat Aaron Ford defeated Joe Lombardo, ending four years of Republican control of the office. One major exception to Democratic gains was the state of Florida, where Republicans retained majorities in the state legislature and Republican Byron Donalds won the gubernatorial election.

Other statewide executive elections

30 states, two territories, and one federal district held regularly scheduled attorney general elections, and Democratic candidates flipped partisan control of the office in Iowa, Georgia, Kansas, and Texas. 26 states held regularly scheduled secretary of state elections, and Democrats flipped partisan control of the office in Georgia, Indiana, and Ohio. Beau Bayh and Jessica Bailey became the first Democrats to win a statewide election in Indiana since 2012. 27 states held regularly scheduled treasurer elections.^{[citation needed]} 23 states held regularly scheduled auditor elections.^{[citation needed]} Nine states held lieutenant gubernatorial elections independently from their gubernatorial elections.^{[citation needed]}

Legislative elections

88 state legislative chambers and 5 territorial chambers held regularly scheduled elections. Prior to the regularly-scheduled 2026 state legislative elections, Republicans held 4044 state legislative seats, while Democrats held 3227 state legislative seats. Republicans had controlled a majority of the legislative chambers and seats since the 2010 elections.

Democrats made major gains across the country, picking up over 500 state legislative seats, the largest shift since the 2010 elections. Democrats flipped at least one legislative chamber each in Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, gaining trifectas (unified control of the governorship and both legislative chambers) in each state. They also gained a trifecta in Nevada by winning the gubernatorial race and retaining control of both of Nevada's legislative chambers. Democrats broke Republican trifectas in Georgia and Texas by winning the governorship and lower house in each state, and broke the Republican trifecta in New Hampshire by winning both chambers of the state legislature. Democrats also won a majority in the North Carolina House of Representatives and made legislative gains in several other states, including Iowa, Missouri, and Ohio. Democrats also expanded their majorities in Democratic-leaning states; in the New York State Senate, they gained their largest legislative majority since 1846.

State judicial elections

Elections were held in 2026, in various states across the country, including appellate courts and courts of last resort. Democrats and left-leaning candidates performed well in several judicial races, including sweeping all four seats up for election on the Supreme Court of Texas.

Ballot measures

100 ballot measures in 37 states were held in the November election. Among the various ballot measures proposed, four states passed measures to prohibit transgender athletes from competing on female sports teams, Maryland voters approved an amendment favored by Democratic leaders easing requirements for congressional redistricting, and Missouri voters rejected a Republican-favored congressional redistricting plan.

Pre-election

Exit polling

Issues

Reactions by elected officials

On Truth Social, President Trump said: "I wasn't on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!" He repeated this to CBS News, where he also congratulated Democrats, saying, "I look forward to working with you for the good of our country." Donald Trump acknowledged after the midterm elections that the Iran war was a factor in Republican's losses. He told Fox News that he would veto any "insane" bills Democrats attempt to pass, adding that he would still work together to create compromises. Some White House officials and Republican allies also called the war a mistake and said that if the conflict had ended sooner, the results of the midterm elections could have been different. Trump also said in an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes on November 8, 2026, that "great dislike" to Israel, public opposition to war with Iran, and rising gas prices were among the main reasons for the Republicans' defeat.

Vice President JD Vance blamed the Iran war for the results and added, "If you'd like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that's at least honest". Vance said that voters want to "change our relationship to Israel".

Robert Garcia, who is set to chair the House Oversight Committee, issued a statement on November 3 telling Republicans to "lawyer up" after they were defeated in the elections. Garcia had previously said that in the event of a Democratic victory, he would conduct investigations into Elon Musk's role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the Trump family's business activities, abuses by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

Former President Barack Obama said that the election's results showed that the American people want "a politics that brings people together rather than divides them" and leaders offering concrete solutions to their problems.

In an interview with the TV news show Sixty Minutes, Trump said: "For getting people out, I get very high marks for getting the bad ones out, I get hurt because we also took people that had good jobs, that created one violation, or breaking of the law, and that was that they came into the country illegally. Now, there is a large part of the country that think that they should be put out. And there's a large part of the country that think that they should be allowed to stay if they're good people working in a landscaping company, or working in a hotel, or doing something, right? And in some cases, paying taxes."

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called the election an "extinction-level" event for Republicans, eviscerating his party on a slew of issues ranging from how they handled the Epstein files to members of the party in Congress trading stocks, while also lamenting how Democrats outflanked Republicans on the issue of regulating AI and tech companies, suggesting "corporatist Republicans" were to blame for defections of rural and young voters to Democrats. Nonetheless, he celebrated how Republicans performed in his own state, where they won a clean sweep of Florida statewide offices, and also passed a cut to property taxes via referendum.

Reactions by other prominent figures

In a post on X, Elon Musk quipped "guess my election interfering space lasers didn't work this time", with an added screenshot featuring the caption "sorry! We are experiencing technical difficulties." The post was in part a reference to the 2026 documentary Musk, where Musk's daughter Ashley St. Clair alleged that he had interfered in elections in 2024 via Starlink.

Hasan Piker, a left-wing Twitch streamer and political commentator who was the subject of significant (mostly negative) attention from both parties throughout the election, told NPR's Morning Edition "we are libbing out, to say the least", and pointed to the results as evidence of "complete party unity" among Democrats. Joe Rogan, on the Friday following the midterms, acknowledged the results on his show saying "no one thought [Republicans] were going to win", blaming the war in Iran for their loss. Jimmy Kimmel, in responding to Trump's Truth Social post suggesting Republicans would have won if he were on the ballot, said "shut up. Just shut up. Please. Give us a break for one day and shut that ridiculous mouth" in an opening monologue for his show the night after the election.

A handful of celebrity figures commented on the results. Among them was lead singer for The Chicks Natalie Maines, who responded to the results at a show in Los Angeles by saying "so glad we can enjoy this night together. Texas is blue. The Senate is blue. The House is blue." Author Stephen King, who had endorsed Troy Jackson in the Senate race in his home state of Maine, also posted on X "Buyer's remorse", while further writing about Trump saying he is the "biggest RINO of them all. Does he care about the Republican Party? Not one bit." Nikki Minaj likewise responded to the election by posting "Trump is STILL your PRESIDENT... Jesus is STILL LORD... [and] the QUEEN is STILL your OBSESSION."

Market reactions

Immediately following the Republican election defeat, Tesla shares fell by about 5%, and SpaceX shares fell by 6.9% in pre-market trading.

By Friday following the midterms, $2.5 trillion in value had been wiped from the Nasdaq over fears of backlash against AI development and data centers. More than 40 ballot measures to restrict data center development were noted by a website called "Data Centers on the Ballot" to have passed.

Americas

• Argentina: Economy Minister Luis Caputo downplayed the possibility of the results impacting U.S. assistance to Argentina, while former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner of the left-wing Justicialist Party posted "Beautiful morning!!!" on X in response to the results.
• Brazil: President Lula da Silva used the results to mock his opponent Flávio Bolsonaro from the 2026 general election held just a week prior to the U.S. midterms, remarking that Bolsonaro brought "bad luck" and "made Trump lose" after leaving for Florida to avoid criminal charges in Brazil.
• Canada: Canada's minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade Dominic LeBlanc said that the election's results were interesting but would not change Canada's trade stance toward the United States, while Prime Minister Mark Carney followed up later saying Canada is indeed focused on the same issues as before the U.S. midterms, adding that Canada is a "confident country." Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre responded to questions about the midterms by saying "Americans hate tariffs," suggesting that Canada should leverage goodwill it has from Americans to push for tariff-free trade.
  • Alberta: Premier Danielle Smith called the results a "vindication" of her province's more subdued response to tariffs, and hopes for improved Canada-United States relations.
  • Manitoba: Premier Wab Kinew congratulated Democrats for "absolutely dominating" Trump, calling for an end to tariffs, and stating that Canadians are "ready" to rebuild the relationship between the U.S. and Canada. Kinew also specifically congratulated Peggy Flanagan and Abdul El-Sayed on their victories in U.S. Senate races, and Deb Haaland on her victory in New Mexico's gubernatorial race.
  • Ontario: Premier Doug Ford struck an excited tone, joking about doing "cartwheels" as he watched results roll in, while stating the "cheese has slipped off the cracker" with Trump. Nonetheless, Ford stated he was under no illusions about the trade war being over.
  • Quebec: Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said his government would launch a "diplomatic offensive" with Americans following the results.
• Colombia: While President Abelardo de la Espriella was silent on the results, his 2026 presidential election opponent Senator Iván Cepeda called the results a defeat for "transnational fascism", while former President Gustavo Petro made several comments connecting the result to Lula da Silva's victory in Brazil and Benjamin Netanyahu's 2026 defeat in Israel, calling the result a "screeching halt to fascism", and celebrating the victories for Latino, African American, Indigenous, and women candidates. Petro further called on the result to be used to pressure action toward a two-state solution in Israel and Palestine.
• Mexico: President Claudia Sheinbaum said the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico would remain unchanged despite the major rebuke Trump and Republicans faced, as she also highlighted and celebrated the victories of "Mexican-origin" Xavier Becerra and Gina Hinojosa in gubernatorial elections held in California and Texas respectively.

Asia

• China: Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mao Ning refrained from commenting directly on the results, describing the election as a "domestic affair" of the U.S., while also stating that China stands ready to work with the U.S. to deliver on common understandings "reached by the two heads of state."
• Iran: Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei told Fars News Agency that "If there are still those who harbor even the slightest hope for a change in behavior or shifts in partisan and factional alignments within the oppressive system, or who believe that by offering concessions to America they can dissuade it from enmity toward the Iranian nation, they are gravely mistaken". Iranian Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on X that "Conscience or the cost of living, Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message" and that "if the US govt betrays their public will to serve international paymasters and blackmailers, it will learn our NO comes with a Nightmare". Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei said on X that "The Iranian nation handed Trump a strategic defeat on the battlefield and in the Hormuz—and a POLITICAL DEFEAT in Washington" and that "Meanwhile, Americans got stuck with the bill for his war".
• Israel: President Isaac Herzog stated following the election that he has "respect for President Trump, Vice President Vance, and the Democratic Party", emphasizing a commitment by Israel to maintaining bipartisan support from Americans, as other commentators such as Israeli-American journalist Gil Hoffman expressed worry about Israelis being blamed by Republican leaders for the results. Opposition leader Yair Lapid called for a plan to "rebuild trust" in the U.S., asserting that the incoming Democratic lawmakers "aren't against Israel" but rather "mainly against [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu — for them, anything connected to him is toxic."
• Japan: Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said "Regardless of the outcome of this election, the Japan–US alliance is the cornerstone of Japan's foreign and security policy."
• South Korea: Kang Yu-jung, a senior spokesperson for President Lee Jae Myung, said the election results would not impact the South Korea-U.S. alliance, while pledging cooperation with the Trump administration and the new Congress. Prime Minister Han Seong-sook expressed similar remarks to Kang, while noting that the Democrats' victory was "much stronger than expected."
• Taiwan: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement following the election emphasizing that Taiwan maintains bipartisan backing in the U.S., in response to a request for comment on the results. Following drops in U.S. stock markets, the Taiwan Stock Exchange faced a similar sell off in reaction to midterm results, with TSMC in particular facing a ten percent drop over fears of backlash to data center construction.

Europe

• Austria: Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said that "independently of the election outcome" the security and prosperity of Austria and Europe must not depend on "how people in Kansas and Iowa vote", and noted that Austria is in the process of strengthening its own defenses and economic competitiveness.
• Czechia: After the results were announced, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš commented that the Democratic victory was "in accordance with predictions", and noted that the outcome will likely result in a political stalemate.
• Denmark: Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who was at the election night party of Senator Jon Ossoff in Georgia as results were announced, commented that Republican candidates endorsed by Trump had been given a "proper slap on the wrist." Numerous other party leaders from across the Danish political spectrum also weighed in, all celebratory of the results, with Henrik Dahl of the Liberal Alliance calling the election a "crushing defeat" for Vladimir Putin, and Inger Støjberg of the Denmark Democrats stating the MAGA movement had left a "trail of chaos in its wake", specifically noting the issue of Trump's threats over Greenland.
• European Union: Christel Schaldemose, the Vice-President of the European Parliament, said that the results left her "cautiously" optimistic, suggesting they could benefit the "support for Ukraine, the green transition, and relations with the rest of the world", while adding that the EU must continue the course of "standing on its own two feet".
• France: Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot declared that the election's results were "excellent news for American democracy".
• Germany: Chancellor Friedrich Merz commented that Trump had governed without involving Congress through executive orders and would probably continue to do so. He believed that not much would change except the budget, which the Democrats would now be able to block from passing. Alice Weidel, co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany party said the results are largely due to Trump's broken promise "not to pursue an interventionist foreign policy".
• Greece: Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said following the election that Greece–United States relations will remain strong regardless of the outcome, adding that Greek officials maintain good relations with lawmakers likely to "key" positions on congressional committees.
• Hungary: Balázs Orbán, who served as a political director for former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (no relation), and currently as a member of the European Parliament for Fidesz, suggested that the results should be interpreted as a "warning" for Prime Minister Péter Magyar, stating "the Western world is becoming increasingly difficult to govern" due to economic stagnation, the cost-of-living crisis, and "uncertainty" caused by wars.
• Italy: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said "nothing changes regarding the relationship between Italy and the United States", calling the U.S. a "fundamental ally", and also taking a swipe at the centre-left coalition, suggesting they will "by magic, rediscover" the U.S. is a "great ally" following the election. Former Prime Ministers Giuseppe Conte and Matteo Renzi, current leaders of the populist Five Star Movement and liberal Italia Viva respectively, both posted celebratory remarks about the results, with Renzi in particular echoing Texas Senate candidate James Talarico's "David defeated Goliath" remark.
• Norway: Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said that the election represented a "change of course among American voters", and that "voices [were] now emerging in American politics that are closer to us than the president and the administration have stood for, for example on climate and environment, and in foreign policy and development aid policy." Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said that a majority of Americans "have had enough of MAGA and now want a different course."
• Poland: Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated "democracy won in America" after the election, adding that he hoped the result would help "stabilize" the situation in Eastern Europe. President Karol Nawrocki, noted to be an ally of Trump, made no comment on the results.
• Russia: Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told RIA Novosti that "Let's wait for the final results. The Democratic Party leadership's approach to relations with Russia is sharply negative. There ⁠is nothing new about that". Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said "President Trump remains in office. We sincerely hope that he will continue his peacemaking efforts. There is already some groundwork in place. Another round of trilateral talks is coming up very soon. These include successful peacemaking and humanitarian initiatives. We hope that all of this will continue. Ultimately, this is an internal American matter".
• Spain: Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez responded to the Democrats' victory in the US midterm elections, saying that American voters had rejected and voted "Against hate. Against machismo. Against climate denialism and against the privilege of the elites."
• Turkey: President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated it was too early to draw conclusions about the elections' impact on Turkey–U.S. relations, but wishes the results to be "beneficial" for Americans, and to contribute to "stability" in the neighborhood around Turkey.
• Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested chances of additional U.S. assistance for Ukraine in the Russo-Ukrainian war had increased with the Democrats' victories in congressional races, while adding that Ukraine needed to move toward consolidating bipartisan support from Americans.
• United Kingdom: In response to the midterms, Prime Minister Andy Burnham told BBC News that "I feel the world has an opportunity now to unite around the issue that is affecting us all, and that's the cost of living". Reform UK leader Nigel Farage accused Trump of having "broke a promise" by launching the war on Iran and expressed concern that the President "will continue aggressively attacking Iran" following the election results.
• Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV declined to comment specifically on the outcome of the elections when asked, but stated he was "proud to be an American and to exercise the right" to vote.

Other countries

• Australia: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the results "very significant", adding they were a key topic of discussion at the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held at the same time as the election, and cited the Iran war as well as tariffs as reasons for Republican losses. Australian right-wing populist political party One Nation distanced itself from Trump following the election, removing or editing pages that had referenced Trump or compared its platform to the Trump administration's policies.
• South Africa: President Cyril Ramaphosa said "We have seen that the Democrats have taken control of the Senate and of the House, and the people of America have spoken" and that the results would "introduce a new era in world relations."

Lists

• List of elections in the United States
• List of elections in 2026