A blue wave engulfed Republicans in this year’s midterm elections. Democrats throughout the country soundly defeated GOP candidates, giving them at least 54 seats in the US Senate and a majority in the House of Representatives. But it was where they won that was so shocking. Texas, South Carolina, Kansas, and Iowa all elected Democrats to the Senate, while a number of House districts that previously supported President Donald Trump turned against the GOP.
“This was an extinction-level event for Republicans in some red and purple areas,” says Mother Jones national voting rights correspondent Ari Berman. “Every possible thing you thought could go right for Democrats by and large did. And that’s not really what people expected going into the night.”
On this week’s More To The Story, Berman talks with host Al Letson about this potentially transformational moment in American politics, how redistricting backfired on Republicans, and what the 2026 midterm results could mean for the presidential race in 2028.
Find More To The Story on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pandora, or your favorite podcast app, and don’t forget to subscribe.
Mother Jones is a nonprofit American progressive magazine that focuses on news, commentary, and investigative journalism on topics including politics, environment, human rights, health, healthcare and culture. Clara Jeffery serves as editor-in-chief of the magazine. Monika Bauerlein has been the CEO since 2015.
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