Ohio Voters Elect Sherrod Brown to Senate as Democrats Take Full Control of Congress

Cleveland, Ohio, witnessed a decisive shift in power on Tuesday as voters returned Sherrod Brown to the U.S. Senate. The Ohio Democrat defeated Jon Husted, a preferred candidate of President Donald Trump, in a race that mirrored a national trend of strong Democratic gains. With the victory, Ohio secured a second term for its senior senator while also electing Amy Acton as the state’s next governor.

Nationwide, the Democratic Party achieved a sweeping victory in the 2026 midterm elections. NBC News projects that Democrats have captured full control of Congress. The party secured 51 seats in the Senate, guaranteeing a majority in the upper chamber. In the House of Representatives, Democrats are set to hold their largest majority in nearly two decades, a result that signals a strong mandate for legislative oversight.

The electoral map saw six former Republican-held Senate seats flip to the Democratic column. These victories occurred in Maine, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. In Texas, James Talarico defeated Ken Paxton to claim the Senate seat. Josh Turek is expected to win the race in Iowa, while Adam Hamilton is projected to take the Kansas seat. In Maine, Democrat Troy Jackson is leading in the race against incumbent Susan Collins.

South Carolina presented an early indicator of the Republican Party’s struggles during this cycle. Democrat Annie Andrews is expected to win the Senate seat vacated by Lindsay Graham following his death. This race was viewed by many as out of reach for Democrats, making the result a notable incursion into traditionally red territory. NBC News noted that these gains extended deep into areas that previously favored the Republican base.

Governor’s races also produced historic firsts for the nation. In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated incumbent Greg Abbott, who conceded the race. Hinojosa will become the first Mexican woman to serve as a governor in the United States. In California, Xavier Becerra will be the state’s first Latino governor. Georgia’s Keisha Lance Bottoms, a former Atlanta mayor, will become the first Black woman elected governor in the country.

Wisconsin will see David Crowley become its first Black governor. Stacey Plaskett, also a Black woman, was elected governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands. These demographic milestones reflect a broader shift in the political composition of state leadership. The results were driven by voters who cited specific policy and performance concerns in their decision-making.

An NBC News exit poll surveyed 43% of voters who stated that opposing President Trump was a primary reason for their vote. The president’s job approval rating on Election Day was lower than that of any president in nearly two decades. Seventy-one percent of voters, including 41% of Republicans, said Congress has not exercised enough oversight of the administration. Key issues cited by voters included corruption, affordability, immigration, and the war in Iran.

President Trump reacted to the results on social media Tuesday evening. He stated that he was not on the ballot and claimed that his absence was the reason for the Republican loss. Trump wrote that if he had been on the ballot, the party would have won in a landslide. The administration’s agenda now faces a new level of legislative scrutiny from the incoming Congress.