Reported by BBC World
Election night was a fever dream for Democrats. In January, reality will set in.
They had a reason to be giddy on Tuesday night: Next year, Democrats will take control of both chambers of Congress after a blowout victory.
"Today begins the great American comeback," an ecstatic Hakeem Jeffries, House Democratic leader, declared.
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After months of promises on the campaign trail — to investigate corruption; lower the costs of healthcare, groceries and petrol; and curtail the Iran war — they will now begin the much tougher process of putting plans into action.
A shift in the balance of power in Washington doesn't necessarily mean Democrats will immediately get to start checking items off their legislative wish list. Democrats have Congress, but Republican President Donald Trump still has the power to reject legislation.
The Democrats should not consider what just happened "a mandate," US Senator Chris Coons told the BBC, warning that the party was still "deeply unpopular".
"We need to prove we can get stuff done, actually deliver answers to their concerns and questions about low wages and rising costs in particular."
James Talarico just flipped Texas' US Senate seat to the Democrats, helping them win control of Congress' upper chamber.
Congressman Robert Garcia of California will soon lead a powerful oversight committee in the House, with the power to make Trump's last two years in office quite difficult.
"Lawyer up," the Democrat said in a statement as victorious results poured in on election night.
Committees in both the US Senate and House have investigative powers, which they could use to delve into alleged conflicts of interest and other actions by the president and those close to him. On Tuesday, Garcia rattled off a list of possible targets: Trump's family, "corporate corruption", alleged abuses by the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the government's handling of the Epstein files.
The Senate also has the power to confirm or block the president's cabinet and judicial nominations.
Should a US Supreme Court vacancy, for example, arise during Trump's term, Senate Democrats could use their new power to block…