Key Takeaways
- Democrats won control of Congress as Republicans suffered losses across seven states.
- Texas flipped blue, while Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman governor of any state.
- Social media users celebrated historic firsts with viral posts, memes, and jokes about the election results.
It was a night to remember for the Democratic Party, which won control of both the House and Senate during the 2026 midterm elections. On Tuesday (Nov. 3), Republicans suffered losses across seven states — including their longtime stronghold of Texas — which could play a huge role in the next presidential election.
Over in Georgia, Keisha Lance Bottoms made history as the first Black woman governor of any state after defeating Republican billionaire businessman Rick Jackson. Meanwhile, Abdul El-Sayed dealt the GOP another major defeat in Michigan. Democrats also managed to flip Senate seats in Iowa and North Carolina, adding to an already disappointing election night for several of Donald Trump’s candidates.
Take a look at the states that flipped blue below, then continue scrolling for some of the best reactions to the Democrats’ victories across the country.
Which states flipped blue in the 2026 midterm elections?
As mentioned before, Texas was among the states that flipped from Republican to Democratic control, with James Talarico putting an end to its 32-year streak as a red state. Kansas followed suit after Adam Hamilton defeated incumbent Roger Marshall, as did South Carolina, where Annie Andrews claimed victory over Darline Graham.
Over in neighboring North Carolina, Democrat Roy Cooper beat Republican Michael Whatley, while Sherrod Brown denied Ohio’s Jon Husted another term. Completing the seven-state list were Iowa and Maine. Interestingly enough, NBC Chicago noted that many of the states were “barely even on Democrats' radar as possibilities a year ago."
Social media reacts to Texas turning blue and Democrats reclaiming Congress
As expected, social media had an absolute field day with the election results. One viral tweet argued that the “entire Democratic Party owes a massive debt of gratitude to Zohran Mamdani,” who was elected New York City’s mayor last year. According to the user, Mamdani brought “vital energy, ideological clarity, and an authentic connection back to the very people who had been left behind.”
Someone else on X wrote, “I have quite literally never seen anything like this in my life,” pointing to the election of the first openly gay man to the Senate, along with the country’s first Black woman and Indigenous governors over U.S. states.
Hilariously enough, the BeyHive took Texas turning blue as an opportunity to call on Beyoncé to finally release her much-anticipated ACT III album. Another person joked, “America is experiencing Knicks in 5 collectively right now.” Take a look at more of our favorite reactions below.