Republican losses reach historic strongholds and prominent Senate and House seats
Republican losses in the midterm elections extended to states and districts where the party has long held influence, alongside competitive seats and prominent political figures. The losses do not all carry the same historical significance.
In the Senate, Adam Hamilton defeated Roger Marshall in Kansas, according to AP, ending a 94-year Democratic losing streak in the state’s Senate elections. In Texas, James Talarico defeated Ken Paxton in the first Democratic statewide election victory in more than 30 years. In South Carolina, Annie Andrews defeated Darline Graham, the first Democratic Senate victory in the state in a generation.
In Iowa, AP announced Josh Turek’s victory over Ashley Hinson to succeed retiring Republican Joni Ernst. NPR reported that the result ends more than a decade of Republican control of both of the state’s Senate seats.
The North Carolina seat also flipped to Roy Cooper after his victory over Michael Whatley, and Ohio’s seat went to Sherrod Brown after his victory over Jon Husted, according to AP. Both are important shifts, without a Democratic drought as long as Kansas’s.
In the House, NBC projected Shannon Taylor’s victory over Rob Wittman in Virginia’s 1st District, which has elected a Republican in every cycle since 1977, according to The Washington Post. That projection is attributed to NBC, not AP.
In Kentucky’s 6th District, AP called the race for Zach Dembo over Ralph Alvarado, The New York Times reported. Republican Andy Barr had held the seat since 2013. The district gave Trump a 15-point margin in 2024, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.
In North Carolina’s 11th District, CBS reported a Democratic flip, and The Assembly confirmed Jamie Ager’s victory over Jennifer Balkcom. In Pennsylvania, NBC reported Scott Perry’s loss to Janelle Stelson, a defeat for a prominent conservative who had previously won seven times, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
These races show the breadth of Republican losses, but are not a final inventory of every flipped seat. Media projections do not mean official certification is complete.
