Democrats Retake Senate as Economic Anxiety Drives Historic Shifts
Voter data from Georgia, Texas, and Ohio reveals how discontent with the economy and President Trump helped Democrats secure wins in traditionally Republican states.
By Yuki Melnyk ·
Democrats regained control of the U.S. Senate in the 2026 midterms, a shift driven by widespread dissatisfaction with the economy and President Donald Trump. ABC News Voter Polls indicate that this discontent translated into electoral gains in states that previously favored Republicans. The party secured victories in Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, Ohio, Kansas, and Iowa. ABC News also projects that Democrats will take control of the House.
In Georgia, Jon Ossoff won reelection with support from around 6 in 10 voters. His margin among white voters improved by 10 percentage points compared to Raphael Warnock’s 2022 victory. Young voters under 30 were a decisive factor, widening their support for the Democratic candidate from 21 points in 2022 to 72 points this year. Independents, who make up 3 in 10 Georgia voters, backed Ossoff over Mike Collins by two-thirds.
South Carolina Democrat Annie Andrews defeated Republican Darline Graham, who succeeded her late brother Lindsey Graham. Black voters supported Andrews by an 85% to 12% margin. The shift among white voters was particularly sharp; they supported the Republican candidate by only 14 points, a drop from a 54-point margin for Tim Scott in 2022. College graduates backed Andrews by 18 points, reversing their preference for Republicans in previous cycles.
Josh Turek is projected to become Iowa’s first Democratic senator since Tom Harkin in 2008. Turek led among self-identified independents by approximately 20 percentage points. His victory relied on attracting about 1 in 10 voters who supported Trump in 2024. Women backed Turek by 15 points, while men favored Republican Ashley Hinson by 8 points.
Sherrod Brown retakes the Ohio Senate seat against John Husted. Brown won female voters by 14 percentage points and voters under 30 by more than 40 points. A majority of Ohio voters blamed Trump for high costs and tariffs. White voters broke nearly evenly between the candidates, returning to margins last seen in 2018. Brown’s margin among Black voters increased from 71 points in 2024 to 81 points this year.
Adam Hamilton is projected to become the first Democrat elected from Kansas since 1932. He defeated incumbent Roger Marshall by appealing to anger about the country’s direction. Voters who described themselves as angry supported Hamilton by an 80-point margin. Nearly 6 in 10 Kansas voters disapprove of Trump’s job performance, and they widely supported Hamilton. Roughly 12% of self-identified Republicans crossed over to vote for Hamilton.
Texas Democrat James Talarico defeated Ken Paxton, propelled by strength among younger voters. Approximately 79% of voters ages 18 to 29 supported Talarico, compared to about half who backed Collin Allred in 2024. Talarico also gained ground among Black and Hispanic Texans, with 9 in 10 Black voters and about two-thirds of Hispanic voters supporting him. This represented a 10-point increase over the shares Allred received from these groups in 2024.
