Democrats Win Big in 2026 Midterms as Voter Polls Show Shifts From 2024 and Inflation Anger
Photo: Fox NewsDemocrats won a run of victories in Tuesday's 2026 midterm elections, flipping control of Congress and beating Republicans in House, Senate and gubernatorial races, according to voter polls and election coverage. Some key races were still undecided. In South Carolina, Democrat Annie Andrews narrowly defeated Republican Sen. Darline Graham, taking a seat Lindsey Graham held for more than 20 years. Darline Graham was appointed after her brother's death in July. Lindsey Graham won re-election in 2020 by 11 percentage points. Fox News Voter Poll data showed rural voters backed Trump with 63% in 2024 but gave Graham 51%, and Andrews ran about 10 points above Kamala Harris's 36% rural share. Democrats also won key races in Michigan and Texas. The AP Voter Poll found Democrats regained significant ground among key demographic groups, reversing many of President Donald Trump's 2024 gains, with young voters leading the shift. AP reported that rising prices drove Republican losses and that most voters said Trump's policies had hurt growth and raised costs.
The left-leaning Washington Post leads with the demographic story, citing the AP Voter Poll to say young voters drove a sharp swing toward Democrats and undid many of Trump's 2024 gains. Its headline centers on who moved, not on individual candidates. The right-leaning Fox News frames the night as the "blue wave" arriving and leads with how Democrats took the Senate. It relies on its own poll of more than 100,000 voters, highlights the South Carolina race with rural-vote percentages, and features Fox hosts, Chad Pergram and guest Austin Petersen. Both sides agree Democrats gained ground relative to 2024, but the Post emphasizes age and groups nationally, while Fox emphasizes seats won and Graham's underperformance, including her hold on non-MAGA Republicans. The AP, in the alternative group, takes a distinct angle, blaming inflation and tariffs and describing Trump as humbled on the economy.
How the sides differ Left sources stress young voters and demographic shifts; right sources focus on the Senate takeover and South Carolina; alternative sources emphasize inflation and tariffs.
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