Democrats win historic midterm victories in Republican strongholds

Democrats won control of the US House of Representatives and are on track to flip the Senate, marking a historic midterm election night with unexpected victories in Republican-held territory. Democrats secured their first shock Senate win in South Carolina, where Annie Andrews defeated appointed incumbent Darline Graham, a seat few analysts had in play. They also won the open North Carolina seat, with Roy Cooper beating Michael Whatley, and Jon Ossoff won re-election in Georgia. CBS News rates Texas and Kansas Senate races as leaning Democrat, while the Texas governor's race is now a toss-up. The party flipped open House seats in western North Carolina and Kentucky, with gains possible in Virginia and Indiana, driven by high turnout among black voters in the south and Hispanic voters in Florida. Republicans retained Florida's Senate seat and governorship, but the state remains one of the few bright spots for the party amid a broad shift against President Donald Trump.