US midterm election results LIVE: JD Vance blames war on Iran for Republican defeat, says ‘President himself said so’

US midterm election results LIVE: After Democrats secured control of both chambers of the US Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, the focus now shifts to the counting and certification of votes, with several Senate and House races still awaiting projections.

Local election officials will complete the counting process, including early and mail-in ballots, before states certify the results. Newly elected lawmakers will then travel to Washington DC for orientation ahead of the new Congress convening in January.

One of its first tasks will be to elect a new Speaker of the House, with Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries expected to take the post. Once the Speaker is elected, lawmakers will be sworn in and begin their terms, while both parties will choose their congressional leaders and assign members to committees.

US midterm election results LIVE: The vice president said a pollster whose predictions matched the election outcome had found that many former Trump supporters were angry and considering voting for Democrats.

According to Vance, the four main reasons cited by these voters were: ending the war, focusing on the cost of living and inflation, putting America First, and changing the country’s relationship with Israel.

US midterm election results LIVE: US vice president JD Vance has blamed the Iran war and the US relationship with Israel for the Republican Party’s defeat in the 2026 midterm elections, saying many voters who backed Donald Trump in 2024 switched their support to Democrats. He also cited concerns over inflation, the cost of living and the party’s commitment to its “America First” agenda as reasons behind the voter shift.

US midterm election results LIVE: US Representative Steve Scalise is set to announce his bid to become the top Republican leader in the House of Representatives in the next Congress, CNN reported, citing sources.

Scalise’s main aim will be to lead Republicans back into the House majority, as per CNN. His expected announcement comes after speaker Mike Johnson told staff that he would not seek another term as House Republican leader following the party’s losses in the US midterm elections. Scalise’s entry could set up a leadership contest with fellow Republican Jim Jordan, who is also planning to run for the post.

US midterm election results LIVE: Congressman Jim Jordan, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, is planning to run for the post of House Republican leader after Speaker Mike Johnson cleared the way for a leadership contest, according to a CNN report citing two people familiar with the matter.

Jordan played a key role in the two impeachment proceedings against Trump during his first term. His allies believe that experience could help him in the race to replace Johnson.

The contest is also expected to include Representative Steve Scalise, who is set to announce his bid for the top Republican leadership position in the US House.

US midterm election results LIVE: Democrat Gina Hinojosa has defeated Republican governor Greg Abbott in the Texas gubernatorial race.

With 67 per cent of votes counted, Hinojosa secured 57.1% against Abbott’s 41.7%. She becomes Texas’ first Latina governor and the first Democrat to win the office since Ann Richards in 1990.

US midterm election results LIVE: Democratic socialist lawyer Melat Kiros, 29, has won Colorado’s 1st Congressional District.

She becomes the first Black woman from Colorado to serve in the US House of Representatives. Kiros will also join the Generation Z caucus, making her one of the youngest members of Congress.

US midterm election results LIVE: Democrat David Crowley has won the Wisconsin gubernatorial race, becoming the state’s first Black governor.

His victory adds Wisconsin to the list of states electing leaders who have broken longstanding racial milestones in the 2026 midterm elections.

US midterm election results LIVE: Republican Byron Donalds has won the Florida gubernatorial race, defeating Democrat David Jolly.

With 98 per cent of votes counted, Donalds secured 50.1 per cent against Jolly’s 48.6 per cent. He becomes Florida’s first African American governor and the first Black Republican elected governor in US history.

US midterm election results LIVE: Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms has won the Georgia gubernatorial race, becoming the state’s first woman and first African American governor.

The former Biden administration official is also the first African American woman to become governor of any US state. Her victory marks the first time a Democrat has won Georgia’s governorship since 1998.

US midterm election results LIVE: Shares of Elon Musk and SpaceX and Tesla fell after Democrats made major gains in the US midterm elections, securing control of both chambers of Congress.

US midterm election results LIVE: The White House shared a photograph of US President Donald Trump on X with the message, “PSA: Trump is still your president.”

The post ended with the line, “Thank you for your attention to this matter,” a phrase often used in official White House communications. It came after Democrats made significant gains in the US midterm elections.

US midterm election results LIVE: Democrats have flipped more than two dozen seats in the US House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections.

Several of the districts that changed hands had voted for President Donald Trump by double-digit margins in the 2024 presidential election. The gains helped Democrats take control of the House, giving them the power to challenge Trump’s legislative agenda and investigate his administration.

US midterm election results LIVE: Democrats have flipped at least seven Senate seats in the 2026 US midterm elections, making gains in several traditionally Republican states.

The party won races in Kansas, Iowa, Texas, Ohio, Maine, North Carolina and South Carolina. Kansas had not elected a Democratic senator in nearly a century.

Democrats also held on to key battleground seats in Georgia and Michigan.

US midterm election results LIVE: Democrats have won control of both the US Senate and House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections, dealing a major setback to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party.

Democrats flipped at least seven Senate seats, including in traditionally Republican states such as Kansas, Texas and South Carolina. They also gained more than two dozen seats in the House.

The results will give Democrats the power to block Trump’s legislative agenda, reject his appointments and investigate his administration during the final two years of his presidency.

US midterm election results LIVE: European Parliament vice president Christel Schaldemose said the Democratic victory in the US midterm elections could benefit Ukraine and the green transition. On X, Schaldemose said the results could also improve relations between the US and the rest of the world.

“Not because everything now changes for the better, but because it could benefit the support for Ukraine, the green transition, and relations with the rest of the world.”

She added that the European Union should continue working towards greater independence. “But the EU must continue the course of standing stronger and standing on its own two feet. That’s not up for debate.”

US midterm election results LIVE: Greece said its relations with the United States would remain strong despite the Democratic victory in the US midterm elections.

Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said the US remained a strategic ally and that major projects and agreements would not be affected by the election results.

“Greek-American relations will remain strong. The United States is our strategic ally, and this will continue for major projects and all major agreements. Nothing will be affected by this outcome. It is obvious that we respect every outcome; the conclusions are clear.”

Marinakis also said the Greek government had good relations with individuals expected to serve on key US congressional committees.

“Beyond that, what I can tell you is that it appears that on the key committees there will be individuals with whom the Greek government has very good relations, and that is important for the country.” (AP)

US midterm election results LIVE: Iran’s embassy in India took a swipe at the United States with a post on X, saying, “You talked about regime change, but we made it happen.”

US midterm election results LIVE: Iranian newspapers linked the Democratic victory in the US midterm elections to the anniversary of the 1979 US embassy seizure in Tehran.

The incident took place after the fall of the US-backed Shah, when radical students reportedly stormed the embassy and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.

Iranian newspaper Hamshahri published an image of Trump blindfolded with his head bowed under the headline “Iran’s shadow over US elections”. It said Washington had been “47 years Iran’s captive: from the capture of the spies’ nest (US embassy) to the November 2026 US Congress elections”. (Reuters)

US midterm election results LIVE: An Iranian news outlet run by the judiciary shared a joke circulating on X after the Democrats’ victory in the US midterm elections. “Trump failed at regime change in Iran but he succeeded in Texas,” the post said.

The remark referred to the Democratic victory in the Texas Senate race, where the party secured a win in a state that has long been a Republican stronghold.

US midterm election results LIVE: Here are the key points, according to a Bloomberg report.

• Trade relief: Democratic control of Congress could increase scrutiny of Trump’s tariff policies and limit unilateral action.
• Trade deal: A weakened Trump could give India more bargaining power in ongoing trade negotiations.
• Tariff risks: Trump retains the ability to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil.
• H-1B visas: US immigration curbs remain a concern for Indian IT professionals and companies.
• War on Iran: Trump’s policies on Iran could affect India’s energy interests and economic stability.
• Uncertain ties: Analysts say the impact of the election on India-US relations will depend on how Trump responds to the Democratic gains.
• India’s approach: Think tank founder Nitin Pai advised New Delhi to prepare for continued challenges, regardless of the election outcome.

US midterm election results LIVE: Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said US hostility towards Tehran would continue regardless of which party controlled Congress.

He warned against “even the slightest inclination towards submission” to the US. “The US sees the end of its hegemony as distant; we see it as near,” he added.

US midterm election results LIVE: Iranian officials welcomed the Democrats’ victory in the US midterm elections, saying American voters had rejected President Donald Trump’s war against Iran.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf wrote on X: “Conscience or the cost of living, Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message.”

He also warned Washington against ignoring public opinion and launching fresh attacks on Iran. (Reuters)

US midterm election results LIVE: Democrat Denise Powell is projected to win the election in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, according to Decision Desk HQ.

The projection was announced by Decision Desk HQ in a post on X.

US midterm election results LIVE: Russia said its foreign policy, including its approach to Ukraine, would not depend on the results of the US midterm elections.

Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov, quoted by Russian state news agency RIA, said Moscow was waiting for the final results.

“Let’s wait for the final results. The Democratic Party leadership’s approach to relations with Russia is sharply negative. There is nothing new about that.”

He also said Russia would continue following its existing foreign policy priorities.

“Our principled and consistent line regarding Ukraine — as well as our foreign policy in general — is not based on short-term considerations and, naturally, does not depend on the fluctuations of the political barometer in other countries. We will continue our work in accordance with the directives of the President of the Russian Federation.” (AP)