Democrats Seize Control of Congress, Ending a G.O.P. Trifecta

The party's victory in the House cemented an era of divided government and a freshly assertive Congress after two years in which Republicans ceded power to President Trump.

Democrats won control of the House, according to New York Times projections, capping a sweeping takeover of Congress as they harnessed a backlash against President Trump to end Republicans' governing trifecta and secure a powerful foothold from which to check his power.

Capitalizing on widespread dissatisfaction over the war in Iran, Mr. Trump's tariffs and corruption allegations, Democrats won decisive victories across the country, reaching deep into Republican territory where voters had soured on the president and his allies.

Having won control of the Senate despite a map stacked against them, Democrats early Wednesday clinched the 218 seats needed to take control of the House of Representatives, and appeared on track to capture many more.

With final results still outstanding, it was unclear exactly how large Democrats' majority would be, a factor that will shape their ability to set an agenda and muscle bills through the Senate, where Republicans retained the ability to block major measures from the minority.

But in a thrashing for the G.O.P., Democrats had won decisive victories across the country, including in solid conservative bastions, in what was projected early Wednesday morning to be the largest popular vote victory for either party since 1976.

The election results promised a new era of divided government in Washington and a freshly assertive Congress after two years in which Republicans generally ceded power to Mr. Trump and reduced the legislative branch's role to that of a mere bystander. It capped a fiercely fought midterm election cycle that Democrats entered chastened from the 2024 presidential election but finished buoyant and with strong political winds at their backs.

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