Democrats win big in US midterm elections

The Democratic Party has gained control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives following a rousing success in the 2026 US midterm elections.

At 13:00 on Wednesday (November 4), the Democrats had control of 54 Senate seats out of a possible 100, with five seats yet to be declared.

They also controlled 228 seats in Congress (House of Representatives), just over the 218 required to take control of the house. There are dozens of seats yet to be declared, so they could gain many more over the course of the day.

In both cases, the swing towards the Democratic Party was considerable, gaining at least eight seats in the Senate and 25 in Congress. 

Democrats in France react

The Democrats Abroad group in France is hosting several events across France today following the election, to celebrate the results. You can find a full list here. 

Leila Meresman of Democrats Abroad told The Connexion the results were "a great day for Democrats and for Democracy." 

The website for the ‘Republicans Overseas’ chapter in France is currently unavailable to access and no one from the organisation was available for comment. 

The situation for Democrats could continue to improve as results trickle in, further cementing their control of the two houses. 

Landmark results for the party include Senate victories in Texas and Kansas, the latter of which has not returned a Democratic senator since 1932. 

Even in seats where the Republican Party won, including safe seats, voting figures show a swing towards the Democratic Party, with margins of victory lower than in previous election cycles.

US President Donald Trump told Fox News “The Democrats did a good job.” 

He admitted to being "a little bit surprised" by the results. 

"I thought they’d do better. We had tremendous rallies,” he said, but conceded that an increase in fuel prices caused by the conflict with Iran influenced the results. 

Major legislative changes unlikely

The president took a conciliatory tone, and said that there were many things he could work with the Democrats on, without naming them. 

More widely, however, the results are not expected to bring major policy changes from the US president but will hem in Mr Trump for the final two years of his second term. 

Without a majority in either house, he will be limited to bills that are approved by Democrats. 

Partisan legislation only backed by Republicans is all but guaranteed to fail now the party is not in control of either house, meaning only policies that have cross-party support are likely to pass. 

The Democrats do have plans for the coming years, however.

This includes "to reinstate expired health care premium subsidies, reverse the nearly $1 trillion in cuts to health care for the neediest (Medicaid) that were included in the Republican budget, move to end Trump’s harmful tariffs and restore congressional power over trade policy, and direct Trump to end the war in Iran," said Ms Meresman.

While Democrats will be able to use their majority to introduce bills, the president retains a veto on such motions, so major legislative change is unlikely to come until the 2028 presidential election (dependent on the victor, as well as the Senate and Congress seats up for grabs).

What results mean for Americans in France

This means residents living abroad will see relatively little change following the midterms, as legislative policies impacting them are unlikely.

One point to note, however, is that the previous plans to introduce residence-based taxation in the US – ending the requirement for some citizens abroad to file tax returns – is unlikely to move forward.

Originally introduced by Republicans following the 2024 presidential election, it was awaiting reintroduction to the House of Representatives after it expired in 2025.

Democrats have not made a public commitment to any similar law.

Regarding changes for residents living abroad and in France, Ms Meresman said the following:

"The SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) Act is purported to prevent non-citizens from voting. But that is not a true problem. By requiring proof of citizenship, it would disenfranchise millions of Americans with strict in-person requirements for voter registration. This will disproportionately impact service members and civilians abroad, making it harder for us to exercise our right to vote. During the previous congressional session, the bill was passed in the House but was killed in the Senate."

The Democrats oppose the bill. 

Anything else?

Mr Trump already faced the difficult situation of being a ‘lame duck’ president. Following the midterm elections in a president’s second term, their political power inevitably drops sharply and their influence grows limited, as they cannot run for a third term. These results will only isolate him further. 

Control of the Senate allows Democrats to confirm appointments to key positions including the cabinet, administration, and Supreme Court justices. This will give the party influence over any positions vacated between now and 2028.

By controlling a majority in Congress, Democrats will be able to launch investigations into the Trump administration, including requests to hand over documents. 

Investigations into the first two years of Mr Trump’s second term are widely expected.

The exact nature of these remains unknown, but are likely to include checks into alleged corruption regarding the business interests of Mr Trump and his family, further investigation into the ‘Epstein files’, and into alleged corruption within the Pentagon. 

There is a possibility that with control of both chambers, the Democrats will attempt a historic third impeachment of Mr Trump, although for it to be successful it requires two-thirds of the Senate to back the measure, which the Democrats remain far from having even after this midterm success.