Democrats delivered a crushing blow to Republicans on Tuesday, securing control of both chambers of Congress and making inroads in districts that had long been considered safe GOP territory. By Wednesday afternoon, Decision Desk HQ had projected 27 Republican House incumbents losing their seats, with eight more races still too close to call.
Nowhere was the Republican collapse more dramatic than in North Carolina, where Democrats flipped four districts and were leading in a fifth. In the state's 13th District, freshman Rep. Brad Knott lost to Democrat Paul Barringer. Rep. Tim Moore fell to Democrat LaKesha Womack in the 14th, while Rep. Addison McDowell lost to Democrat Cyril Jefferson in the 6th. The biggest shock came in the 9th, where NRCC Chair Richard Hudson was defeated by Democrat Richard Ojeda. All four races were decided by just over two points, despite pre-election forecasts giving Democrats less than a 25% chance in each. In the 5th District, Rep. Virginia Foxx trailed Democrat Charles Hubbard by a mere 99 votes, with no projection yet.
Pennsylvania also proved fertile ground for Democratic pickups. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie lost by 13 points to Democrat Robert Brooks in the 7th, while Rep. Rob Bresnahan fell to Democrat Paige Cognetti by nearly 9 points in the 8th. Both Mackenzie and Bresnahan had only won their seats in 2024. Moderate Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, who occasionally broke with Trump, was defeated by Democrat Bob Harvie in the 1st. In the Harrisburg area, former Freedom Caucus chair Scott Perry—a key figure in efforts to challenge the 2020 election—lost to Democrat Janelle Stelson by 10 points.
New Jersey saw two GOP incumbents ousted. Rep. Tom Kean Jr., who had been absent from the House for months due to depression, lost by nearly 16 points to Democrat Rebecca Bennett. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a Democrat-turned-Republican, was unseated by Democrat Zack Mullock in a major upset. In New York's Hudson Valley, Rep. Mike Lawler conceded to Democrat Cait Conley in the 17th, though ballot scanning delays prevented an official call.
Virginia's 2nd District saw Rep. Jen Kiggans lose to former Rep. Elaine Luria by 9 points, a rematch of their 2022 race. The district, heavily populated with military families, turned against Kiggans amid the Iran conflict. In the 1st, Democrat Shannon Taylor beat Rep. Rob Wittman by just over a point.
Ohio Democrats swept the marquee statewide races and ousted three House Republicans. Rep. Max Miller lost to Democrat Brian Poindexter by 10 points, his campaign already damaged by allegations of domestic abuse involving his daughter and ex-wife. Rep. Mike Turner, a moderate, fell to Democrat Kristina Knickerbocker by 2 points in the 10th, and Rep. Mike Carey lost by 6 points to Democrat Don Leonard in the 15th.
Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Missouri also contributed to the Democratic wave. Rep. Tom Barrett lost in Michigan's 7th, while Rep. Bill Huizenga trailed in the 4th. In Wisconsin, Reps. Derrick Van Orden and Bryan Steil were defeated by Democrats Rebecca Cooke and Mitchell Berman. Iowa's Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn lost to Christina Bohannan and Sarah Garriott, respectively. In Missouri, Rep. Ann Wagner lost to Democrat Fred Wellman in the 2nd, a district Republicans had tried to redraw but were blocked by the courts.
The suburban Indianapolis 5th went to Democrat JD Ford, who beat Rep. Victoria Spartz by 3 points. In South Texas's 15th, Rep. Monica De La Cruz lost by a staggering 22 points to Democrat Bobby Pulido, a district Trump won by 20 points in 2024—a dramatic shift in a heavily Latino area. Arizona's Rep. Juan Ciscomani lost to Democrat Joanna Mendoza, and Rep. Eli Crane trailed Democrat Jonathan Nez. California Democrats also flipped two seats, though the full details were still emerging.
The results have sent shockwaves through the political landscape, with Democrats also seizing statehouse trifectas in five states. The party's dominance among young voters was a key factor, and markets rallied on the prospect of divided government. House Minority Leader Schumer is expected to press the party's advantage, while Speaker Johnson has vowed a comeback in 2028.
