Democrats flip Republican strongholds in historic US midterm gains

Democrats made historic gains in Tuesday's US midterm elections, winning Senate and House races in long-held Republican strongholds and electing several firsts, including the first openly gay senator. Democrats flipped a Maine Senate seat and hold strong positions in six states for House control, according to The New York Times. Notable victories include El-Sayed winning Michigan as the first Muslim senator, and Adam Hamilton becoming Kansas's first Democratic senator since 1932. Other firsts include Peggy Flanagan as the first Native American woman senator, Annie Andrews as South Carolina's first female senator, and Josh Turek as the first former Paralympian in the Senate. Democrats also won Senate seats in Texas, Iowa, and North Carolina after decades-long gaps.