Reported by Al Jazeera
Historic firsts, surprise victories and expensive defeats as Democrats take control of Congress.
Democrats had a big night in Tuesday’s United States midterm elections, winning control of both chambers of Congress and pulling off some surprising victories in longtime Republican strongholds.
From turning Texas blue to electing the country’s first Muslim senator, there were plenty of historic wins. But the night also brought some major setbacks for US President Donald Trump and his allies, including one who spent hundreds of millions of dollars backing losing candidates.
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Here’s a look at some of the election’s biggest winners and losers.
Annie Andrews: In one of the most surprising wins of the night, Democrat Annie Andrews flipped a Republican-held Senate seat in a deeply conservative South Carolina, beating out the Trump-backed candidate Darline Graham.
A paediatrician who campaigned on healthcare and affordability, Andrews became the first Democrat elected to the Senate from the state since 1998, and its first elected female senator. The victory was a major breakthrough for Democrats and helped them take control of the Senate.
Abdul El-Sayed: Progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan, becoming the first Muslim elected to the US Senate.
The former public health official overcame attacks on his faith and a bitter primary battle against establishment-backed Democrat Haley Stevens, who went on to endorse Rogers. “You chose hate and Michigan chose hope,” El-Sayed told Rogers in his victory speech.
Chuck Schumer: After facing criticism from fellow Democrats for not pushing back hard enough against Trump, as well as anger from progressives over his support for arms sales to Israel, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer is now poised to reclaim his position as majority leader.
Schumer helped recruit candidates including Sherrod Brown and Roy Cooper, who flipped Republican-held Senate seats. He celebrated the victory on Tuesday, saying, “We have five words for the American people: ‘Relief is on the way’.”
James Talarico: After years of Democrats trying to turn Texas blue, James Talarico finally pulled off a major upset by winning a US Senate seat in a state Trump had carried by double digits…