Democrats score wins and flip seats to seize momentum for US midterms

The 2025 off-year elections proved to be a major success for Democrats, as candidates at state and local levels managed to make inroads into and even flip several Republican strongholds across the country.

Much of the national spotlight was centered on Zohran Mamdani’s landmark win in New York, along with Democratic victories in the gubernatorial races of New Jersey and Virginia. And in both Virginia and New Jersey there were several precincts or voting blocs that voted for Trump in 2024 that then voted for Democrats this year.

Yet, results in smaller districts may have offered an even greater insight into the political landscape heading into the midterms.

In Erie county, Pennsylvania, a region that narrowly favored Trump in the 2024 election, Democrat Christina Vogel won the county executive race by a commanding 24-point margin. Meanwhile, in Virginia’s 66th state House district, Democrat Nicole Cole unseated Bobby Orrock, a Republican who had held the seat for 36 years and was the state’s longest-serving GOP delegate.

Democrats also secured two statewide victories in Georgia’s public service commissioner races, marking their first non-federal statewide wins since 2006 and their largest margins of victory in more than two decades. Alicia Johnson defeated incumbent Tim Echols by a margin of 58 to 41%, while Peter Hubbard triumphed over Fitz Johnson by 61 to 39%. The commission is responsible for utilities and has “exclusive power to decide what are fair and reasonable rates for services under its jurisdiction”.

Even in deep-red Mississippi, Democrats achieved significant progress by flipping two state senate seats, ending a 13-year Republican supermajority. This shift prevents the GOP from unilaterally overriding gubernatorial vetoes or passing constitutional amendments with ease.

In another notable outcome, Democrats gained control of the Onondaga county legislature in New York for the first time in nearly five decades. They won all six contested seats, turning what had been a 12-5 Republican advantage into a 10-7 Democratic majority.

Pennsylvania also saw Democratic momentum, as voters in the critical swing county of Luzerne elected four Democrats and one Republican to the county council, giving Democrats control of the 11-member body. Republican John Lombardo was the only incumbent to retain his seat.

County Democratic chair Thomas Shubilla expressed his satisfaction with the results, telling the Times Leader: “We’re still in the fight and out there winning elections with good candidates and hard work.”

Meanwhile, progressive policies also seemed to dominate on Tuesday. Voters in Colorado approved a pair of ballot measures aimed at providing free meals in public schools statewide. Proposition MM increases taxes on households earning more than $300,000 annually to fund universal school meals, purchase locally sourced food for cafeterias, and boost pay for cafeteria employees. Any extra revenue collected from the tax hike will go toward the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap).

Voters also passed Proposition LL, permitting the state to retain surplus tax funds generated by Proposition FF, a program which “limited income tax deductions for people earning more than $300,000” to fund free school meals, and allocate them to the same program.

“The earthquake wins last night reaffirmed that voters rebuke GOP extremism and that the affordability crisis remains the issue that is on voters’ minds,” said Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), in a statement. “This is where we’re getting things done, this is where Democrats are leading.”

In Maine, voters decisively rejected a proposed ballot measure that sought to introduce voter ID requirements and restrict absentee voting, described by critics as a “voter suppression bill”. According to the AP, 64% voted against it.

These results, combined with Mamdani’s win in New York and the Democratic successes in Virginia and New Jersey, triggered a less than positive reaction from the president. “TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT,’ according to Pollsters,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, part of a posting frenzy the president went on during election night and the following morning.

But whatever the reason for the Democratic sweep, it’s clear that Trump’s plunging popularity with Americans had something to do with it. The president’s approval rating has fallen to one of its lowest points as of the start of November, with only 37% of Americans expressing approval of his performance as president.

However, Democrats aren’t out of the water just yet. In July, the party’s own approval rating hit a 30-year-low. The blue wave of wins may have those on the left celebrating across the US, but it still falls on the Democratic party to see if they can carry this energy and youth-electrifying messaging to the midterms and beyond.