On the night of the 2026 American midterms, the country's voters began delivering their verdict on a president and a party that have governed through a turbulent era. In Texas, a state that has not turned this way in decades, a Democrat appears to be surging past a Republican once touted by the president, while in Georgia a historic first has arrived with the election of a woman who will lead the state. The final shape of the Senate and House remains unwritten, and as with all such moments, the uncounted rural ballots and the coming days will decide how this chapter is ultimately remembered.
Democrats flip North Carolina Senate seat as Talarico leads in Texas and Bottoms wins Georgia governorship
Numbers that haven't been seen in Texas in more than 35 years
Mark
Why does a Texas number like 59.5 per cent get so much attention?
Mimi
Because the coverage says Texas hasn't seen margins like that in more than 35 years. Talarico leads by over a million votes with more than half counted.
Luke
Worth saying that's a partial count. Rural counties, expected to lean Republican, are still out, and nobody knows yet if they close the gap.
Mark
And Paxton was Trump's pick?
Mimi
Yes, Trump pitched him for the seat, so the underperformance is especially galling for the president.
Luke
Galling is the reporter's characterization. The source doesn't quote Trump or his team reacting.
Mark
What about the Senate overall?
Mimi
One flip already, North Carolina, and Democrats need three more. They lead in seven Republican-held seats, including Ohio, Kansas, South Carolina, Maine and Arkansas.
Luke
Leading isn't winning. Only North Carolina is described as flipped, and the 'blue tsunami' line is the outlet's framing, not a result.
Mark
Florida seems like the counterweight.
Mimi
Moody held on, 50.67 to 48.2 per cent in AP projections, but much closer than expected.
Luke
And on gerrymandering, the source only says it's not paying off so far and that it's too soon to know. That's not a verdict.
Der Puls
- Texas has tipped sharply toward a Democratic Senate candidate, but the rural votes still to be counted could yet narrow the gap.
- Trump's chosen Senate pick, Ken Paxton, is trailing badly, a rebuke that stings the president's own political project.
- Democrats have flipped North Carolina and lead in seven Republican-held Senate seats, with control now only three seats away.
- Republicans held Florida, but only narrowly, against a backdrop of a swing that alarmed the party's leadership.
- House maps redrawn to protect Republican seats are not yet delivering, and the backlash over them is gathering strength.
On the night of the 2026 American midterms, the country's voters began delivering their verdict on a president and a party that have governed through a turbulent era. In Texas, a state that has not turned this way in decades, a Democrat appears to be surging past a Republican once touted by the president, while in Georgia a historic first has arrived with the election of a woman who will lead the state. The final shape of the Senate and House remains unwritten, and as with all such moments, the uncounted rural ballots and the coming days will decide how this chapter is ultimately remembered.
By the time the count in Texas passed the halfway mark, the numbers looked like something the state had not produced in more than thirty-five years. Democrat James Talarico held roughly 59.5 per cent of the vote against Republican Ken Paxton's 39 per cent, a lead of more than a million votes. The result is not yet final, since rural counties, which usually lean Republican, are still to report, and it will be some time before anyone knows whether they can close the gap. For President Trump, who had championed Paxton, the result will sting.
In Georgia, the governor's race has been called for Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, a former mayor of Atlanta and senior adviser to Joe Biden. She becomes the first woman elected governor of Georgia and the first Black woman elected governor anywhere in the country. Her race ran close to that of Senator Jon Ossoff, who has already been returned to office, and the state's importance in the next presidential contest adds weight to her victory.
In the Senate, Democrats have already flipped North Carolina and need only three more seats for control. They lead in seven Republican-held seats, including Texas, Ohio, Kansas, South Carolina, Maine and Arkansas, while Michigan looks increasingly favourable after Abdul El-Sayed moved ahead. Commentators have begun describing the night as a 'blue tsunami' rather than a wave.
Republicans did win one clear contest. In Florida, Senator Ashley Moody held her seat against Democrat Angie Nixon, but the margin of about 50.7 to 48.2 per cent was far closer than expected. Moody, appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis, will serve out the remainder of Marco Rubio's term.
The House picture remains unsettled. Republican efforts to shore up seats through redistricting, which critics call 'dummy-mandering', have not yet paid off, and it is too early to measure the final effect. The coming hours will show which of these trends hold.
By the time the count in Texas passed the halfway mark, the numbers on the screen looked like something Texas had not produced in more than 35 years. Democrat James Talarico, running for the Senate against Republican Ken Paxton, held roughly 59.5 per cent of the vote to Paxton's 39 per cent, a lead of more than a million votes.
The figures come from live coverage of the 2026 US midterms by The Age, drawing on staff reporting and the Associated Press, as polls opened and results began to arrive across the country. Some commentators have called this the most important midterm election in modern American history, with President Donald Trump and the Republicans facing a threatened Democratic 'Blue Wave'.
The Texas result is not final. Votes are still to come from rural counties, which are expected to lean Republican, and it remains to be seen whether they can offset Talarico's margin. Paxton's showing will sting in particular for Trump, who had pitched him as his pick for the seat. One note of caution in the live reporting: an earlier entry had Talarico well ahead with 40 per cent of the vote counted, so the count has moved quickly through the night.
In Georgia, the governor's race has been called. Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican Rick Jackson. A former mayor of Atlanta and a senior adviser to former president Joe Biden, Bottoms becomes the first woman elected governor of Georgia and the first Black woman elected governor anywhere in the country. She ran a race close to that of Senator Jon Ossoff, described as wildly popular, who has already been returned to office. Georgia will be a crucial battleground in the next presidential election, which adds weight to the result.
In the Senate, Democrats have already flipped one seat, North Carolina. They need only three more to take control of the chamber. According to the live reporting, they lead in seven Republican-held seats, and Republicans lead in none of the seats Democrats currently hold. The Democratic leads named are Texas, Ohio, Kansas, South Carolina, Maine and Arkansas. In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed is ahead for a seat held by a retiring senator. The coverage says it is looking more like a 'blue tsunami' than a wave.
Republicans did get one clear win. In Florida, incumbent Senator Ashley Moody held her seat, though the contest was much closer than expected. AP projections put her at 50.67 per cent against 48.2 per cent for Democrat Angie Nixon, a former state House representative and prominent progressive. Moody was appointed in early 2025 by Governor Ron DeSantis to fill the vacancy left when Marco Rubio became Secretary of State, and she will now serve out the remainder of that term. She survived what the coverage describes as a huge swing against her party.
The House picture is less settled. The Republican effort to shore up seats by redrawing district boundaries is, so far, not paying off, and commentators are talking about a backlash against what some call 'dummy-mandering'. The reporting is explicit that it is too soon to know the final impact.
What to watch next: the rural Texas counties still to report, whether Democrats reach the three additional Senate seats they need, and how the House maps hold up as more results arrive.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
It's too soon to know the final impact of Republican gerrymandering, though it is so far not paying off.— The Age live coverage, staff reporter and AP
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