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Democrats Win Competitive Senate Races as 49% Voter Turnout Hits Second-Highest Since 1914
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Turnout reached the second-highest in over a century, sparking Democratic Senate wins. Black voter turnout significantly helped Democratic victories, especially in the South.
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Turnout and Democratic wins
Across the United States, 49 percent of eligible Americans voted in the midterm elections, described as the second-highest turnout since 1914, when neither women nor African Americans could vote. The Washington Post said three states with the highest turnout, Maine at 65.7 percent, Minnesota at 65.2 percent, and Michigan at 63.2 percent, held competitive Senate races where Democrats prevailed.
Tom Bonier, an analyst and former Democratic political strategist, said, "When it comes to turnout, Trump has had more of an impact than anyone of the last century." Daron Shaw, a Republican pollster and politics professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said, "It was exactly the opposite," describing how higher turnout did not benefit Republicans as expected.
Black turnout and historic firsts
NPR said Black voter turnout helped contribute to major Democratic wins in the 2026 midterm election, with political scientist Andra Gillespie describing higher voter turnout among African Americans, Latinos and Asian American voters in Georgia compared with 2022. Gillespie said, "White voters actually had lower voter turnout compared to 2022," and she linked the shift to Black and Asian American voters making up a larger share of the 2026 electorate than they did among registered voters.
Gillespie pointed to economic issues, saying, "It's probably because of economic issues," and she added that Black voters in southern states were more likely to cite the economy as their top issue. Gillespie also tied the election to historic governor races, naming David Crowley as Wisconsin's first Black governor and Keisha Lance Bottoms as the country's first Black woman governor.
Jeffries’ speaker challenge
Hakim Jeffries (56) officially announced his candidacy for Speaker after Democrats secured control of both the House and the Senate, and he wrote in a letter, "Despite all the difficulties, Democrats in the House have prevailed while they were in the minority."
“Despite all the difficulties, Democrats in the House have prevailed while they were in the minority.”
The العين الإخبارية report said some progressive Democrats elected to the House on Tuesday expressed reservations about Jeffries taking the Speaker's gavel, citing his public opposition to President Donald Trump and his support for Israel.
Claire Valentin, a Democratic Socialist representing New York's 7th district, said she had not yet decided whether to support Jeffries and told the outlet, "We must resist to reclaim control of our economy and our country... This reflects a genuine mandate from the American people."
The report said a petition urging House Democrats not to back Jeffries surpassed 675,000 signatures, and it added that Jeffries remained the frontrunner with 95% odds as of Thursday, according to predictions market data from Kalshi.