Democrats Ascendant

The US Democratic Party has had a major win in the 2026 midterm elections, taking control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Clearly, the war on Iran would have had a big impact on how people voted as the war itself directly led to a rapid rise in the cost of living.

Here's a few things to consider overall:

1. Donald Trump has regularly attacked or criticised the Pope. The Pope is an American, and many people in the US are Catholic. This may have turned off many from voting Republican.

2. ICE raids have alienated many voters in regions where immigration is an issue. I'm thinking areas like Texas, where people have relatives on the other side of the border with Mexico. While voters want immigration controls and secure borders, they do not want this to be over-the-top. Interestingly, Texas has elected its first Democratic Senator in decades.

3. The cost of living keeps coming up time and again. Rising prices are due to the war in the Middle East, but also tariffs which Trump uses as a weapon. Democratic candidates who talked about the cost of living during their campaigns have gone on to poll very well.

4. Those Epstein files won't go away, get those files fully released and let's see some arrests.

5. The Democratic Party candidates more closely resembled the voters, thus, they were able to connect with people better. The GOP looks pale and stale.

6. Darline Graham for the GOP gained her Senate seat through being the sister of Sen. Lindsey Graham who died in office just months ago. She was resoundingly defeated and justifiably so, her appointment smacked of nepotism. 

The Republicans have a lot of ground to recover, their only hope in the short term being that the Democrats may implode with infighting. The Democrats, for their part, had better deliver on their promises, as clearly, the voters have woken up.