Democrats seize Senate control with wins in Texas, Ohio, and Kansas
Voters under 30 and independents drove margin shifts that flipped key states from red to blue in the 2026 midterms.
By Natalia Costa ·
The U.S. Senate shifted to Democratic control in the 2026 midterms, with projections indicating that the party also gained a majority in the House of Representatives.
Democrats secured victories in Georgia, South Carolina, Iowa, Ohio, Kansas, and Texas, flipping seats that had been held by Republicans in the most recent cycles.
In Georgia, Democrat Jon Ossoff defeated Republican Mike Collins. Ossoff won support from 6 in 10 voters statewide. His margin among white voters improved by 10 percentage points compared to the 2022 race. Support from voters under 30 widened to a 72-point margin, up from 21 points in 2022. Two-thirds of independent voters backed Ossoff over Collins.
In South Carolina, Democrat Annie Andrews defeated Republican Darline Graham. Black voters supported Andrews by an 85% to 12% margin. White voters backed Graham by only 14 percentage points, a sharp drop from the 54-point margin for Tim Scott in 2022. College graduates supported Andrews by 18 points, reversing a 23-point margin for Scott in 2022. Suburban voters broke for Andrews by 7 points.
Josh Turek won the Iowa Senate race, becoming the first Democrat to represent the state since 2008. Turek defeated Republican Ashley Hinson. Independents preferred Turek by 20 percentage points. Voters aged 18 to 29 supported Turek by a 2-to-1 margin. Women backed Turek by 15 points, while men supported Hinson by 8 points.
Sherrod Brown won the Ohio Senate seat, defeating Republican John Husted. Brown won female voters by 14 percentage points and voters under 30 by more than 40 points. Independents backed Brown by 25 points. White voters broke nearly evenly between the candidates, a margin last seen in 2018. Brown’s margin among Black voters increased to 81 points.
Adam Hamilton became the first Democrat elected from Kansas since 1932, defeating incumbent Republican Roger Marshall. Four in 10 Kansas voters said they were angry about the country’s direction, and those voters supported Hamilton by an 80-point margin. Independents split for Hamilton by more than 2-to-1. Women supported Hamilton by 10 points, while men supported Marshall by 2 points.
James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in Texas. Talarico won 79% of voters aged 18 to 29, compared to about half who supported Democrat Collin Allred in 2024. Female voters supported Talarico by 58%, while male voters were roughly evenly split. Nine in 10 Black voters and two-thirds of Hispanic Texans supported Talarico.
Across these states, roughly 9 in 10 voters who described the economy as poor voted for the Democratic candidate. About 6 in 10 voters disapproved of President Donald Trump’s job performance, and roughly 9 in 10 of those voters supported the Democrat in their respective state.
