Democrats seize Congress as Trump faces oversight on Iran, economy

Democratic candidates captured control of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in the November 3 midterms, according to results compiled by Ballotpedia. The party won 20 of the 35 contested Senate seats and 248 of the 435 House districts, as of the latest updates on November 5. This outcome ended the Republican hold on both chambers and marked a significant shift in the balance of power in Washington.

President Donald Trump, who had campaigned for his party, faced the results with a focus on the ongoing conflict with Iran. In an Oval Office exchange with reporters on Thursday, Trump suggested that the election losses were not changing his strategic calculations. He stated that if the U.S. has to finish the operations in Iran, the country is very much locked in. This comment came after Vice President JD Vance had publicly ruminated on the war being a catastrophe for the Republican Party.

The war in Iran, which has been ongoing for eight months, contributed to elevated gas prices and rising costs across the economy. A record high in diesel and gasoline prices on Election Day helped push voters toward Democrats, according to exit polls cited by Reuters. The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil tumbled below $95 on Wednesday after the election, touching its lowest level in two months. This market movement signaled that investors do not expect major immediate strikes on Iranian targets.

Democrats in the newly empowered House and Senate have vowed to use their majority to launch major investigations into government corruption. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who is in line to become the next speaker, has not ruled out trying to impeach President Trump for a third time. Senior Democrats have tasked ranking members with leading efforts to probe the self-enrichment of the president and his orbit, linking public corruption to affordability concerns.

Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, posted "Lawyer up" on social media as results favored his party. He has outlined five priorities for the new majority, including Trump family business dealings and the administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland will also play a key role in these efforts, working to connect the costs of public corruption to the financial strain on American households.

In the Senate, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, who is poised to return as majority leader, said Americans want the party to clean up corruption in government. He noted that no American should have to make tradeoffs at the supermarket while the president is making inside trades on the stock market. The Senate is expected to conduct similar investigations, with Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut set to chair the Homeland Security Committee's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

California, which had an open governorship and no Senate race on the ballot, saw voters participate in a broader national wave of dissatisfaction. The state's polls were open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. While the state did not have a federal legislative race, the results in California reflected the national trend where voters cited the cost of living and government corruption as crucial issues. The AP Voter Poll found that dissatisfaction with the country's direction was particularly high in blue states like California.

The election results also impacted the partisan control of state governments. Ballotpedia reported that Democrats gained control of five governorships nationwide, including in Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, and Texas. In the state legislative chambers, Democrats gained 11 seats, shifting the balance in several key states. This control of state legislatures will give Democrats the power to influence redistricting and state-level policy, further challenging the Republican administration's agenda.

The shift in congressional control means that Democrats will now have the subpoena powers and larger investigative staffs needed to conduct these probes. The Republican president and his White House have long denied any wrongdoing in the areas targeted for investigation. However, the new Democratic leadership is prepared to use the full resources of their majority to examine the executive branch's actions, from military engagements to financial dealings.

As the new Congress prepares to convene in January, the focus will remain on the economy and foreign policy. The Iran war continues to affect global energy markets, with the U.S. Navy providing escorts for tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict has also spread to the Red Sea, where Iran-backed Houthi rebels are fighting a Saudi Arabia led coalition. Analysts suggest that the new Democratic majority may seek to impose more checks on the president's ability to escalate military operations without congressional approval.

The election also saw a historic slate of women and candidates of color elected to Congress, reshaping the face of political leadership. Abdul El-Sayed, who won the U.S. Senate seat in Michigan, became the first Muslim American U.S. senator. His victory speech, which included addressing Vice President Vance with the term "habibi," was celebrated by Arab and Muslim communities across the country. This win was part of a broader wave of historic firsts in the 2026 elections.