Midterm election setback leaves Republicans assessing losses across US

Democrats secured sweeping victories in Tuesday’s midterm elections at the state level as well, taking control of the Texas House of Representatives after also scoring historic wins in the state’s Senate and gubernatorial races.

Republicans, meanwhile, are analysing their electoral rout following heavy losses in the US midterm elections, while President Donald Trump gave reporters at the White House a presentation on the construction of a new $400 million ballroom, the French news agency AFP reports.

The Democratic Party strengthened its position in several key and traditionally Republican states, potentially giving it an advantage ahead of the 2028 presidential and other elections, CE Report quotes STA.

Democrats will control the Texas House of Representatives for the first time since 2002, while Republicans retained their majority in the state Senate. For the first time in history, Texas will have a Latina governor, Gina Hinojosa, while Democrat James Talarico won a seat in the US Senate.

Democrats take full control of executive and legislative branches

Democrats took full control of both the executive and legislative branches in five states where power had previously been divided.

They achieved this in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Wisconsin. In 2027, Democrats will hold at least 28 of the country's 50 governorships, including newly won positions in Georgia, Iowa, Ohio and Texas.

At the same time, Democrats prevented Republicans from securing or stripped them of supermajorities in nine legislative chambers across eight states. During Barack Obama's presidency, Democrats lost nearly 1,000 seats in state legislatures, but in recent election cycles they have sought to reverse that trend.

Trump praises new White House ballroom after Republican election defeat

"It will not only be one of the largest, but I think also the most beautiful ballroom in the world," Trump said during a visit to the construction site, where he signed the final steel beam to be installed in the roof structure. During his 16-minute address, he invited reporters to imagine a ceiling decorated with chandeliers and marble floors.

He particularly highlighted the Corinthian limestone columns, which he said would be larger than those at the US Supreme Court. He also praised the marble from a quarry whose owner had reportedly refused to sell it for years but eventually agreed because of his personal admiration for the US president.

Trump also discussed the building's roof, which could accommodate up to 100 drones or several helicopters, and said Chinese President Xi Jinping had been impressed by the project during his September visit to the White House.

The event resembled Trump's appearance on Monday at the reopening of the renovated reflecting pool near the Lincoln Memorial, which critics described as inappropriate at a time when his party was facing an electoral defeat.

Trump eventually answered questions from reporters and even acknowledged that Vice President JD Vance was largely correct in attributing the Republicans' defeat to the war with Iran.

Although a large majority of voters said in exit polls that Trump had worsened the country's economic situation, the US president insisted that the country was more successful than ever before in its history.

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