Numbers that tell the story of the Democrats' midterm blowout

The 2026 midterm elections saw Democrats reclaim control of Congress and governors' mansions across the United States, marking a significant political shift against Donald Trump's policies. Early voting numbers, which surpassed 61.7 million, indicate a record high in early voting for midterms, a trend that favors Democratic voters.

The surge in turnout among African Americans, young people, and other traditionally Democratic-leaning groups contributed to the Democrats' success. Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress, flipping key races and securing majorities in both chambers.

The 2026 election cycle was marked by record-breaking spending, with total political spending reaching a staggering US$11.9 billion, a significant increase from the US$8.9 billion spent in 2022. Campaign fundraising and advertising expenditures for the 2026 races saw a substantial rise, driven largely by outside spending by political action committees.

While Trump-backed PACs spent US$360 million more than their Democratic counterparts, Democrats managed to outspend Republicans by US$800 million in their own campaigns. This spending disparity did not dampen Democratic candidates' efforts, as evidenced by House and Senate candidates collectively raising an unprecedented US$3.7 billion from their campaign war chests.

A notable victory came from James Talarico, a Democratic candidate in Texas, who raised a record-breaking US$145 million for his Senate race. His success over Republican incumbent Ken Paxton, who relied heavily on outside groups, was a testament to Democrats' fundraising prowess. The election also saw Democrats unseat incumbents in Kansas and South Carolina, marking the first time in nearly a century that Kansas elected a Democrat to the Senate and the first South Carolina Democratic senator since 1998.

Notably, Latino and young voters, typically supportive of Trump, turned against him, with Latino voters backing Democrats by a 62 percent to 35 percent margin and 18-29-year-olds supporting Democrats by a 72 percent to 25 percent margin, a stark contrast from the 2024 election where young voters were split between Trump and Harris.