Tuesday’s midterm elections were some of the most hard-fought in years, and more people than usual turned out to vote. In the end, Democrats won control of the House of Representatives, picking up at least 26 seats. But Republicans claimed victory as well, adding to their narrow majority in the Senate.
Democrats also captured governorships that had been held by Republicans in Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, and Wisconsin. But in Florida, Republican Ron DeSantis narrowly defeated his Democratic opponent, Andrew Gillum. If he had won, Gillum would have become the state’s first African-American governor.
The results provided fresh evidence of the sharp split in American political life. Democrats won in many congressional districts in suburban areas where people have been vocal in their opposition to President Donald Trump’s policies. But Republican Senate candidates won in more rural, conservative states.