The Democrats have surged to a historic victory in the 2026 midterm elections, signaling a stunning rebuke of President Donald Trump. Senate and the House of Representatives was handed to the Democrats, as they wrestled victories in key seats in Texas, Kansas, South Carolina and Michigan, two years after a devastating loss in the 2024 presidential election that left the party struggling to find its feet. In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican opponent Mike Rogers; former teacher James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas, becoming the first Democrat elected to Senate in the states since 1988 and in South Carolina, Republican Darline Graham was defeated by Democrat Annie Andrews.
Traditionally, in midterm elections, the party that holds the White House tends to lose seats, and a Democratic victory had been projected in advance. But the scale of the Democrat success goes far beyond expectations and signifies a shock that will likely continue to reverberate through American politics for years to come. The victories follow high-profile, high-cost and highly contentious races across the country.
"There were a number of poor campaigns, primarily due to the candidates promoted by Donald Trump in Senate and Governors races," Michael Traugott, Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan, told Newsweek over email. Through the midterm election cycle, Democrats proved able to threaten previous GOP strongholds like Texas and Kansas, even as Republican candidates had the support and endorsement of Trump. Inflamed rhetoric, polarized messaging and personal attacks became routine in campaigns that were often marred by scandal.
Elizabeth Bennion, Chancellor’s Professor of Political Science at Indiana University South Bend, told Newsweek, "What stands out to me are cases where a campaign risks backlash by crossing a line that voters perceive as unfair, excessively personal, or exploitative." As the scale of Democrats' wins continues to set in, Newsweek looks at the worst campaigns of the 2026 midterms. Newsweek has contacted spokespeople for the losing campaigns mentioned in this article for comment. There will likely be one moment that people remember about Trump-endorsed billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy’s unsuccessful bid for Ohio governor: the controversial attack ad against his Democratic opponent, Doctor Amy Acton, that featured her estranged mother.
In the ad, Acton’s mother, Donna Arthur, called her daughter a liar and warned Ohioans against voting for her. Acton’s mother lost custody of her after her husband, Acton’s stepfather, was indicted for allegedly raping Acton at the age of 12. "This ad was so vile that many prominent Republicans, including Ohio’s Republican Governor Mike DeWine, publicly criticized it," James F.
Adams, distinguished Professor in the Department of Political Science at U.C. Davis, told Newsweek over email. "Yet Ramaswamy has continued to defend the advertisement and has refused to apologize." The ad was ultimately discontinued after bipartisan condemnation, despite Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s support for the ad.
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