Die by the Sword?
The same groups that were pivotal to Trump's successful White House proved key to GOP downfall
By Clara Ence Morse, Eric Lau & Teo Armus The Washington Post
Published Nov. 5, 2026
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Voters across the country from a range of demographic groups backed Democrats by overwhelming numbers on Tuesday, giving the party control of both chambers of Congress in a sharp rebuke to President Donald Trump and the GOP agenda.
Rural areas, suburbs and major cities all moved toward Democratic candidates by double digits compared with the 2024 election, according to a Washington Post analysis of data as of 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. The critical coalition that fueled Trump's White House win two years ago, including Latinos and young people, swung back hard toward Democrats.
Midterm turnout is lower than in presidential election years and almost always swings against the party of the sitting president. But these results included new record-high vote shares for Democrats, who won in multiple states for the first time in decades - and in nearly a century in the case of Kansas.
The groups that shifted the most
Democrats successfully defended competitive seats in Michigan and Georgia while flipping seven Senate seats - in Iowa, Kansas, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas - that were held by Republicans, some of which Trump won by double-digits in 2024.
Majority-Hispanic counties
Counties where the majority of the citizens of voting age are Hispanic. Most are in Texas and New Mexico.
Trump made historic gains with Latino voters in 2024, but Democrats won back some of those voters nationwide - and even made additional gains of their own in Texas, where voters elected the state's first Latina governor.
Lower-income counties
Counties where the median household income is under $60,000.
Republicans still won a majority of votes in the nation's lower-income counties, but by smaller margins than they did two years ago.
Younger counties
Counties where the majority of the citizens of voting age are 18 to 44.
Trump increased his party's share among Gen Z voters and won a slim majority of young men two years ago with promises to lower prices and avoid wars. But the nation's youngest counties became more Democratic on Tuesday.
Rural counties
Counties where most adults live in small towns and rural areas.
Tariffs and the war in Iran also left a heavy mark on farming communities, raising the cost of feed, fuel and fertilizer, and driving Democratic gains.
Democrats took the House majority in part by winning larger shares of younger and Hispanic voters. The party is on track to have its largest majority in the chamber since 2011, flipping at least 29 GOP-held seats.
Majority-Hispanic districts
Districts where the majority of the citizens of voting age are Hispanic. These districts are in Texas, New Mexico and Florida.
Their strong performance in majority-Hispanic counties helped them win several districts in South Texas that Republicans had gerrymandered to their advantage. GOP leaders believed those would be safe red seats, but they depended on Republicans maintaining Trump's historic inroads among Latinos. That seemed to backfire.
Lower levels of college education
Districts where under 20 percent of adult citizens have a bachelor's degree.
Trump drew some of his strongest and most consistent support from voters without a college degree. The House districts where those groups make up an overwhelming majority, many of which were still won by Republicans, also saw a dramatic shift left.
Younger districts
Districts where the majority of the citizens of voting age are 18 to 44.
Gen Z voters, especially young men, swung sharply towards Trump in 2024. But the districts with the most young people shifted toward Democrats.
Rural districts
Districts where most adults live in small towns and rural areas.
Voters in rural areas have been central to Republican victories for decades. Tuesday's vote showed a rare shift in these lower-population counties toward Democrats.
Here's a look at some of the most telling shifts in major Senate races:
Michigan
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official, improved Democratic margins substantially in Michigan's lowest-income counties in his victory over Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman.
Lower-income counties in Michigan
Michigan counties where the median household income is under $70,000.
Kansas
Democrat Adam Hamilton, a Methodist megachurch pastor, defeated Sen. Roger Marshall (R) thanks to strong support in the Kansas City suburbs where his church is located. But the state's mostly rural western and central regions - which are traditionally conservative - also moved away from Republicans.
Rural counties in Kansas
Kansas counties where most adults live in small cities and rural areas.
Texas
Voters in the overwhelmingly Hispanic areas around San Antonio and along the border helped power Democratic state Rep. James Talarico's victory in Texas against Ken Paxton, the state's scandal-plagued GOP attorney general. That shift also translated to the governor's race, where Gov. Greg Abbott (R) was unseated by state Rep. Gina Hinojosa (D).
Majority-Hispanic counties in Texas
Texas counties where the majority of the citizens of voting age are Hispanic.
South Carolina
Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, made significant improvements among White voters with lower education levels in South Carolina. Andrews unseated Sen. Darline Graham (R), who had been appointed to fill the seat held by her brother, Lindsey Graham.
White and non-college-educated residents
South Carolina counties where the majority of residents above the age of 25 are White and do not have a bachelor's degree.
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