Democrats Flip Six Senate Seats, Capturing Key Swing States
Exit polling shows younger voters, independents, and women driving a historic shift in Georgia, South Carolina, Iowa, Ohio, Kansas, and Texas.
By Luana Sato ·
ABC News projects that Democrats will take control of the Senate after winning seats in six states that were previously considered Republican strongholds. The party also appears poised to retain the House, according to the network's polling data released on November 4, 2026. These gains mark a sharp reversal from the political landscape just two years ago, with insurgent candidates securing victories in the South and Midwest.
In Georgia, Jon Ossoff is projected to win reelection with support from approximately 60% of voters. His margin among white voters improved by 10 percentage points compared to Raphael Warnock’s 2022 victory. Younger voters played a decisive role, widening their support for the Democratic candidate from a 21-point margin in 2022 to 72 points this year. Independents, who comprise 30% of the electorate, voted for Ossoff over Republican Mike Collins by a two-thirds margin.
Annie Andrews is projected to defeat Darline Graham in South Carolina, a seat Graham held following the June death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham. Black voters supported Andrews by an 85% to 12% margin. The shift among white voters was stark; they supported the Republican candidate by only 14 points, down from a 54-point margin for Tim Scott in 2022. College-educated voters backed Andrews by 18 points, reversing a trend seen in previous cycles.
Josh Turek is projected to win the Iowa Senate race, becoming the first Democrat to represent the state in the upper chamber since Tom Harkin in 2008. Turek’s victory relied heavily on independent voters, who preferred him by approximately 20 percentage points. Roughly 10% of voters who backed Donald Trump in 2024 crossed over to support Turek, while few supporters of Kamala Harris voted for Republican Ashley Hinson. Women supported Turek by 15 points, a significant increase from the 3-point margin for Democrats in 2022.
Sherrod Brown is projected to reclaim the Ohio Senate seat from John Husted. Brown won female voters by 14 percentage points, a group that split evenly between candidates in 2024. Voters under 30 supported Brown by more than 40 points, a sharp reversal from 2024 when the same group backed the Republican by 4 points. White voters in Ohio broke nearly evenly this year, returning to margins last seen in the 2018 midterms. Brown also gained ground among college graduates, winning them by 22 points.
Adam Hamilton is projected to become the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Kansas since 1932, defeating incumbent Roger Marshall. Four in 10 Kansas voters expressed anger about national conditions, and they supported Hamilton over Marshall by an 80-point margin. Nearly 60% of voters disapproved of Trump’s job performance, and this group widely supported Hamilton. While 80% of self-identified Republicans voted for Marshall, 12% split off to vote for Hamilton.
James Talarico, a Texas House representative, is projected to defeat Ken Paxton. Talarico’s victory was driven by younger voters, with 79% of 18 to 29-year-olds supporting him, compared to about half who supported Democrat Collin Allred in 2024. Female voters supported Talarico at a rate of 58%, while male voters were roughly evenly split. Black and Hispanic voters also provided strong support, with 90% of Black voters and about two-thirds of Hispanic Texans backing Talarico.
