10 biggest surprises of the midterm elections

The midterm elections finally ended with a "blue tsunami." The Democrats won the House of Representatives, with their largest majority since 2010; the Senate, making historic gains in Southern states; and five new governorships, including Texas and Georgia.

The results confirmed (and even exceeded) the most pessimistic poll predictions for Donald Trump and the Republicans.

In addition to spawning dozens of explanations for the results, internal recriminations, and conspiracy theories, this massive "blue wave" also produced some of the most striking and surprising results in recent years.

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Texas, from end to end: Democrats sweep the entire state for the first time in 32 years

Democrats hadn't won a single state office in Texas since 1994, and last night they won them all.

James Talarico defeated Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Senate race by about 12 percentage points and became the state's first Democratic senator since 1992. Meanwhile, Gina Hinojosa defeated Governor Greg Abbott by about 7 percentage points. She will be Texas's first Latina governor and the first Democrat to hold the office since Ann Richards, who left the post more than 30 years ago.

Further down the ballot, Vikki Goodwin won the lieutenant governor's race, Nathan Johnson as attorney general, and Jon Rosenthal was elected to the Railroad Commission. In addition, Sarah Eckhardt will be the new comptroller, Clayton Tucker the Agriculture Commissioner, and Benjamin Flores the Commissioner of Lands.

In addition, Democrats also won all four seats up for grabs on the state Supreme Court.

Kansas will have its first Democratic senator since 1938

Although polls had predicted trouble for Republicans in Kansas, many analysts believed it would be very difficult for Democrats to overcome the 16-percentage-point lead Trump secured in the state in 2024.

Nevertheless, the Democrats managed to retain the governorship with Cindy Holscher and the Senate race with Methodist pastor Adam Hamilton.

Hamilton defeated incumbent Roger Marshall and will become the first Democrat to represent Kansas in the Senate since 1938.

The NRCC chairman lost his reelection bid

Richard Hudson, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), was defeated by Democrat Richard Ojeda II in North Carolina's 9th congressional district.

In addition to chairing the NRCC—the very committee tasked with protecting and expanding the Republican majority in the House—Hudson is part of the House Republican leadership.

Ojeda II won 51% of the vote, compared to Hudson's 49%.

Victoria Spartz's defeat in Indiana

In the 2024 elections, Republican Victoria Spartz had been re-elected with 58% of the vote in Indiana's 5th congressional district, 18 percentage points ahead of her Democratic opponent.

However, the congresswoman lost to State Senator JD Ford. The Democrat won with 51% of the vote, compared to 49% for Spartz, who fell 22 points from her 2024 showing.

"Republicans can’t afford another cycle of disorganization, weak turnout, and soft messaging. We need to get sharper, tougher, and far more effective. We need to engage Democrats in debates over real policy solutions," Spartz said after the results were announced.

Mario Díaz-Balart barely holds on in a district he won with 70% of the vote in 2024

Mario Díaz-Balart did not expect to struggle so much on Election Day. The Florida Republican had won comfortably in 2024, garnering 70% of the vote in the 26th district.

However, he had to fight vote by vote against attorney Nicole Locklin, who had never run for elected office before. The two candidates traded the lead until Balart pulled ahead with 49.9% of the vote, compared to Locklin's 49.1%.

One of the key factors in the election was redistricting, which for this election incorporated part of Broward County, a Democratic-majority area.

Diaz-Balart, 65, has been in Congress since 2003 and is the longest-serving member of the Florida delegation.

Zach Dembo's upset in Kentucky

Kentucky's 6th congressional district hadn't elected a Democrat since 2010. The district was considered a safe seat, since Andy Barr won re-election in 2024 with 63% of the vote and a 26-percentage-point margin.

Barr decided to run for the Senate and won the seat previously held by Mitch McConnell, who had announced his retirement, thereby creating an open race.

On Election Day, the Democrat Zach Dembo won the district with 52% of the vote, beating Republican Ralph Alvarado.

Bobby Pulido gains ground in South Texas

In 2024, Republicans made historic gains among the Hispanic community, particularly in southern Texas. There, Trump won 30 of the 34 counties south of San Antonio and swept all of those in the Rio Grande Valley, a Democratic stronghold for decades. However, those gains evaporated in the midterm elections.

In Texas's 15th District, where 81% of the population is Hispanic, Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz had won reelection by 14 percentage points. In 2026, she was defeated by Democrat Bobby Pulido.

Pulido, a Latin Grammy winner with a three-decade career in the music industry, received 62% of the vote, compared to 37% for the Republican congresswoman. Between the 2024 and 2026 elections, De La Cruz's support dropped by nearly forty points.

A seven-term congresswoman falls to a podcaster

Republican Ann Wagner represents Missouri's 2nd congressional district Missouri for more than thirteen years.

Before joining Congress in 2013, she served as chair of the Missouri Republican Party, co-chair of the Republican National Committee, and ambassador to Luxembourg.

Ahead of this year's election, the state's Republicans redrew her district to include parts of Jefferson and rural counties—a move that posed no threat to her reelection.

However, Wagner was defeated by Democrat Fred Wellman, an Army veteran and podcaster. The Democrat won with 51% of the vote, compared to 46% for the Republican.

Virginia Foxx's defeat?

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx didn't expect much to happen last Tuesday either. The 83-year-old Republican was elected to Congress in 2005 and has since represented North Carolina's 5th congressional district. In 2024, she won reelection by 19 percentage points.

Now, Foxx is fighting for her political life. With 99% of the votes counted, she trails the Democrat Chuck Hubbard by 99 votes.

The Bayh name returns to Indiana politics

Evan Bayh is practically an institution in Indiana politics. He served as secretary of state from 1986 to 1989; as governor from 1989 to 1997; and as a senator from 1999 to 2011. Fifteen years later, his last name is back at the center of local politics.

His son, Beau Bayh, 30, won the election for secretary of state on Tuesday. He received 52% of the vote and became the first Democrat to win a state office in Indiana since 2012.