This browser does not support the Video element.
ELECTION RESULTS | Democrats win Congress with historic flips in Texas, Michigan
Democrats swept the 2026 midterm elections, capturing control of both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Major Senate victories included Abdul El-Sayed winning in Michigan, James Talarico becoming the first Democrat to win a Texas Senate seat in nearly four decades, and Annie Andrews defeating Republican appointee Darline Graham in South Carolina. Longtime Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins was also unseated, while Alaska's Senate contest between Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola remains too close to call as ballots continue to be counted.
PHILADELPHIA - Democrats have taken full control of Pennsylvania's state government, securing both legislative chambers and retaining the governor's office, according to results from Tuesday's midterm elections. The wins in Pennsylvania are part of a broader surge for Democrats in battleground and traditionally Republican-leaning states that changed the national balance of power.
Democratic trifectas reshape Pennsylvania politics
What we know:
Democrats won or kept control of both chambers of Pennsylvania's legislature and the governor's office, creating a so-called "trifecta." This victory allows Democrats to shape key policies on issues including tax rates, abortion rights, school choice and education funding.
Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who won reelection, told his supporters he wants lawmakers to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, invest in infrastructure, kids, police and communities, and enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution.
Big picture view:
Democratic gains across multiple states ended or disrupted Republican control, with Pennsylvania joining Michigan and Minnesota in achieving trifectas. The National Conference of State Legislatures said it's the biggest single-election shift of state partisan power since 2010. Katie Owens Hubler, director of elections and redistricting at the organization, said so.
Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, said the party won "historic levels of power in statehouses" and had not flipped this many seats since the 1980s. Williams said Democrats will need to deliver solutions for middle-class and rural Americans, including expanding access to healthcare and improving education.
State governments influence daily life through tax policy, health and education funding, housing regulations and data center development. The legislative session could bring efforts to lighten the tax burden, expand healthcare access and address utility costs, according to the Associated Press.
Gov. Shapiro said Pennsylvanians want action on wages, infrastructure and abortion rights. He told supporters that the election's outcome is a mandate for investment in "kids, police and communities."
What's next:
The wins put pressure on Democrats to address the rising cost of living, high gas prices, inflation and the lack of affordable housing.
Democrats in other newly shifted states have signaled plans to seek bipartisan cooperation. Minnesota's Amy Klobuchar said, "I am not interested in moving Minnesota to the left or the right; I want to move us forward." She also warned supporters, "Spoiler alert: You may not like every single thing I do."
The Source: This article contains information from the Associated Press.