Democrats Projected to Retake House Majority in Midterms, Ending Four Years of GOP Control

Democrats won enough seats in Tuesday's midterm elections to retake the U.S. House of Representatives, ending four years of Republican control, according to projections from CBS News, NBC News and Decision Desk HQ. Votes in several competitive races were still being counted, so the size of the majority was unclear. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York declared victory before midnight and said voters wanted change and relief from high costs. Democrats were also reported to be on track to win the Senate, and no incumbent had lost as of midnight. Republicans held 219 seats to Democrats' 214 before the vote. A Pew survey in October found 65% of Americans disapproved of President Donald Trump's handling of the Iran war, and AAA put average diesel at $6.29 and regular gas at $4.14 per gallon. Once Democrats gain subpoena power in January, they plan investigations into Trump's family business dealings, immigration enforcement, the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, pardons and construction projects in Washington, led by Reps. Robert Garcia and Jamie Raskin.

The Washington Examiner and Daily Caller, on the right, lead with the scale of the Democratic win and with voter anger. The Examiner highlights the Senate, the absence of incumbent losses and Jeffries being introduced as "Speaker," and it raises socialist-aligned candidates. The Daily Caller blames inflation and the Iran war, citing Pew, AAA and polling on trust. CBS News, on the left, also cites cost of living but gives more space to Democrats' investigation plans and the Garcia and Raskin roles. The Atlantic frames the result as Jeffries's affordability focus against Trump making the race about himself. All agree on the cost-of-living theme. Alternative and independent outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while left- and right-leaning outlets had.