U.S. Midterms Set Records for Turnout and Spending as Democrats Retake Congress

Democrats are projected to regain control of the U.S. Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections, a historic rejection of President Donald Trump's policies that will constrain his final two years in office. A record 61.7 million Americans voted early, according to the University of Florida's Election Lab, boosting Democrats who traditionally favor early voting. Campaign spending hit an unprecedented $11.9 billion, up over 30% from 2022, with Democrats outspending Republicans by $800 million from their own campaign treasuries. Democrats captured long-held Republican strongholds, including Kansas for the first time since 1932, Texas since 1988, and South Carolina since 1998. Exit polls showed Latinos backed Democrats 62% to 35%, while 72% of voters aged 18-29 supported Democrats, marking major shifts from recent elections.