Democrats Win Senate Control in Midterms, Projected to Take House as Well

Democrats won control of the US Senate in Tuesday's midterm elections, flipping seats in South Carolina, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Iowa and Kansas, according to the Associated Press. They are also projected to take the House, giving them both chambers of Congress. Decision Desk HQ called the Senate just after 11 p.m. Eastern. As of 6 a.m., the Daily Signal reported 54 Democratic seats to 44 Republican, with Alaska and Mississippi undecided. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats had won against the odds and that relief was on the way. Control lets them block Donald Trump's legislation and nominees, including any Supreme Court pick; conservatives hold a 6-3 majority there. Counting continues in Minnesota, Michigan and Maine, where Democrats are trying to unseat Sen. Susan Collins. In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola faces Sen. Dan Sullivan. A federal judge on Sunday dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit seeking to block certification if Sullivan finishes behind her. Peltola denied involvement in an alleged effort, reported by The New York Times, to recruit a second candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan.

Left-leaning CBS News and The Guardian US lead with the Democratic win. The Guardian calls it a rout and a rejection of Trump's agenda, quotes Schumer, and focuses on new leverage over nominations. CBS centers on Alaska, with Peltola's claim that Republican fraud accusations backfired and her criticism of Sullivan's votes on the Iran war. Right-leaning The Blaze and The Daily Signal use short, plainer headlines. The Daily Signal gives the 54-44 count, the call time and the undecided races. The Blaze notes that Republicans lost the House early and failed to hold the Senate, and cites an NBC News comment that Trump promoted candidates better than they promoted themselves. Both sides report the Democratic takeover. The right omits the Alaska legal fight and Democratic reaction. The Times of Israel adds a distinct angle: voter anger over prices and the Iran war, and Israel critics among the winners.