Midterm results: Democrats flip House and Senate
Minnesota sees Democratic gains in top offices while North Dakota remains a Republican stronghold.
By Michael Bennett ·
Voters in Whatcom County and across the nation sent a clear message on Tuesday night as Democrats secured control of both the U.S. House and Senate. The Associated Press tallies show Democrats winning 237 House seats to Republicans’ 139, surpassing the 218-seat majority threshold. In the Senate, Democrats hold 54 seats to 44, a shift from the Republican majority held after the 2024 elections. These results mark a change in the balance of power in Washington, D.C., for the next two years.
The outcome in Minnesota reflects this national trend, with Democrats winning the governor’s race and an open U.S. Senate seat. Amy Klobuchar was elected governor with 1,569,695 votes, or 55.5%, defeating Republican Lisa Demuth, who received 1,206,586 votes, or 42.6%. Klobuchar becomes the first woman to hold the Minnesota governorship. In the Senate race, Democrat Peggy Flanagan won with 1,520,869 votes, or 53.7%, against Republican Michele Tafoya, who garnered 1,233,469 votes, or 43.6%.
Democrats also swept other statewide offices in Minnesota. Secretary of State Steve Simon led Republican Tad Jude by more than 12 percentage points, and Attorney General Keith Ellison outpaced Republican Ronald J. Schutz. In the U.S. House, Democrats won four of the seven called races in the state. Only one district remains undecided, where Democrat Jake Johnson holds a lead of 0.099 percentage points over incumbent Republican Brad Finstad.
North Dakota presented a contrasting picture, with Republicans leading every statewide partisan race by wide margins. Julie Fedorchak won the state’s sole U.S. House seat with 57.4% of the vote. Republican candidates for Secretary of State, Attorney General, and other offices all exceeded 60% of the vote. The state did not hold a U.S. Senate race this year, so no direct comparison to the 2024 Senate contest was possible.
Vice President JD Vance posted on X on Wednesday morning to analyze the Republican performance. He noted that polling suggested many voters who supported President Donald Trump in 2024 planned to vote for Democrats in 2026. Vance cited a poll where the top reasons for this shift included ending the war with Iran, addressing cost of living and inflation, putting America first, and changing the country’s relationship with Israel. He wrote, “The reason we lost is the war.”
Voter turnout varied significantly between the two states. North Dakota recorded its lowest general election turnout in 50 years, while Minnesota saw a large increase in early voting compared to the previous midterm. Local measures also made headlines, with Fargo voters approving a 10-year excess mill levy for public schools. In North Dakota, voters rejected a constitutional measure requiring 60% approval for amendments, with 56.5% voting no.
The final counts for several closely contested races in Minnesota were still being finalized as of Wednesday afternoon. Five House races and two Senate races nationwide remained undecided. The results stand as of the latest available data from election officials and news organizations.
