Bottoms and Stratton Lead Historic Wins
Democrats flip seven Senate seats and elect three firsts to the governorship.
By Arjun Weber ·
Democrats reclaimed control of both chambers of Congress in the November 2026 midterm elections, capturing a majority in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. The party flipped seven Republican-held Senate seats in Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Maine, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. Preliminary counts reported on November 4 show Democrats holding 54 Senate seats and 228 House seats, with several races still undecided.
The election cycle also produced historic milestones in Black political leadership. Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta, became the first Black woman and first woman ever elected governor of Georgia. She defeated Republican Rick Jackson with 54.31% of the vote to Jackson's 45.7%, according to preliminary results with nearly 99% of precincts reporting.
Two other states gained their first Black governors. David Crowley, Milwaukee County Executive, won the Wisconsin race with 54.8% of the vote against Republican Tom Tiffany. In Nevada, Attorney General Aaron Ford defeated incumbent Republican Joe Lombardo with 51.7% of the vote to Lombardo's 44.2%.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore secured reelection with 62.71% of the vote, comfortably defeating Republican Dan Cox. Moore will serve another term as a prominent Black Democratic leader in the state.
Gains in the federal legislature included Juliana Stratton, the Illinois lieutenant governor, who won the open U.S. Senate seat previously held by Dick Durbin. Stratton received 61% of the vote, defeating Republican Don Tracy. Her victory ensures Illinois will have two women of color in the Senate alongside Tammy Duckworth. In Colorado, 29-year-old Melat Kiros won the 1st Congressional District with 78.3% of the vote, becoming the state's first Gen Z woman and first Black woman elected to the U.S. House.
In Washington, progressive candidate Kelabe Tewolde defeated incumbent Democrat Sharon Tomiko Santos for the House District 37 Position 1 seat, leading with nearly 62% of the vote to Santos' 37%. In Washington, D.C., Robert C. White Jr. won the nonvoting delegate seat with 87.29% of the vote, succeeding Eleanor Holmes Norton. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is positioned to become the first Black Speaker of the House when members vote on January 3, 2027.
