Blue tsunami sweeps the US, as Democrats land huge gains in Congress

Voters across the country administered a sharp reprimand to President Donald Trump and Republicans who hold majorities in Congress, with Democrats gaining control of the Senate and on track by early Wednesday to take over the House as well.

Several U.S. Senate and House races remained uncalled by The Associated Press as Election Day ended on the East Coast. But Democrats notched 53 Senate seats to control that chamber, with a House majority all but certain as well, as the party swept virtually all of the races that were expected to be competitive. 

Those wins included Senate contests in states Trump won by double digits just two years ago, some of which had not elected Democrats in decades: Iowa, Kansas, South Carolina, Ohio and Texas.

Democrats also won a seat left open by retiring Republican Thom Tillis in North Carolina, bringing their total of Senate pickups to five, with leads in a handful of other states. And they retained their seat in Minnesota, electing Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan to the Senate.

By just past midnight, they’d netted 16 new House seats, putting them on track to start next Congress with a majority that will give House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, whom Democrats are expected to make speaker, some room to maneuver. The AP had not yet made a call by midnight that Democrats had control of the House.

Democrats also flipped four governorships, in Georgia, Texas, Ohio and Iowa.

Republicans had not flipped any Democratic-held U.S. House or Senate seats or governorships by midnight, according to race calls by AP.