Democrats take US Congress in midterm wave, win 54 Senate seats
- US midterm elections on Tuesday, November 3, gave Democrats control of both chambers of Congress.
- Daily Trust reported Democrats hold 54 Senate seats to the Republicans' 44, and 237 House seats to 139.
- Democrats also flipped five governorships, including Iowa and Texas, in a major rebuke of President Donald Trump.
American voters have handed control of Congress to the Democrats in Tuesday's midterm elections, in a result widely seen as a rejection of President Donald Trump's first two years back in office.
According to Daily Trust, the Democrats now hold 54 of the 100 Senate seats, against 44 for Trump's Republican Party. In the House of Representatives, the Democrats claimed 237 seats to the Republicans' 139, giving them control of both chambers.
To get there, the party took at least seven Senate seats from the Republicans and flipped more than two dozen House districts, including in states Trump carried comfortably in 2024.
What it means for Trump
Trump remains president until his term ends, but he will now face a Congress that is not controlled by his party. Daily Trust reported that the result raises the prospect of greater checks on his powers, and that some Democrats have spoken about impeachment.
The outlet linked the Republican losses to public anger over the cost of living. It said the war with Iran, which Trump launched without congressional approval, pushed up petrol prices and squeezed household budgets, adding to frustration over inflation and grocery costs.
Several Republican candidates Trump personally backed also lost their races, a sign that his endorsement did not carry the weight it once did.
The night produced a string of firsts. Daily Trust reported that Adam Hamilton won a Kansas Senate seat no Democrat had held since 1932, and that Abdul El Sayed became the first Muslim US senator. Deb Haaland of New Mexico became the first Native American woman elected governor of a US state, while Keisha Lance-Bottom became the first Black woman to win a governorship, flipping Georgia for the first time in 20 years.
James Talarico's Senate win in Texas was the first for a Democrat there in 50 years, and Senator Gina Hinajosa took the Texas governor's seat from a three-time Republican incumbent.
In all, the Republicans lost five governorships in states that have now turned blue.
Why it matters to Nigerians
Daily Trust drew a direct comparison to Nigeria, where President Bola Tinubu's All Progressives Congress (APC) controls the National Assembly and most states. The paper argued that a strong opposition in the US can block a president's requests, including borrowing, and that Nigeria's democracy is weaker when the legislature does not push back.
It also noted that the US result could change how Washington behaves abroad, including in its dealings with Nigeria.
Nigeria holds its own general election next year.