Democrats Take Control of Congress as Minnesota and North Dakota Show Divergent Election Results

Democrats seize control of Congress as Minnesota and North Dakota reveal a divided electorate

Democrats have secured enough seats to take control of both the U.S. House and the Senate following Tuesday’s midterm elections, according to tallies from The Associated Press. This shift marks a significant reversal of the 2024 results, where Republicans held majorities in both chambers. The national political situation has changed from a Republican-controlled House of 220-215 to a Democratic majority of 237-139, while the Senate has flipped from a 53-47 Republican lead to a 54-44 Democratic advantage.

The political map shows a nation moving in two distinct directions at once. While Democrats have expanded their footprint in the governor’s mansions—moving from 23 to 28 governorships—the regional results in the Upper Midwest tell a story of deep polarization. As Valley News Live reported, Minnesota and North Dakota served as two opposing poles of the election night results, illustrating how national trends can coexist with intense local political identities.

Democrats Take Control Of Congress – Live Midterm Election Results From Washington, DC

Amy Klobuchar and Peggy Flanagan lead a Democratic sweep in Minnesota

In Minnesota, the Democratic Party saw success across nearly every major statewide office. Amy Klobuchar won the governor’s race with 1,569,695 votes (55.5%), defeating Republican Lisa Demuth, who earned 1,206,586 votes (42.6%). Klobuchar’s victory makes her the first woman to hold the office in Minnesota history. The margin of victory in the Senate was also decisive, as Peggy Flanagan secured her seat with 53.7% of the vote against Republican Michele Tafoya’s 43.6%.

The Democratic momentum in Minnesota extended to down-ballot roles, including the Secretary of State, Attorney General, and Auditor positions. The results in the U.S. House were more varied, with Democrats winning four seats and Republicans winning three. One race remains a focal point of tension: in District 1, Democrat Jake Johnson holds a razor-thin lead of just 0.099 percentage points over incumbent Republican Brad Finstad, with 98.8% of votes counted.

Breaking down election results as Democrats take control of Congress | full video

Minnesota Office	Democratic Candidate	Democratic %	Republican Candidate	Republican %
Governor	Amy Klobuchar	55.5%	Lisa Demuth	42.6%
U.S. Senate	Peggy Flanagan	53.7%	Michele Tafoya	43.6%
Secretary of State	Steve Simon	54.7%	Tad Jude	41.8%
Attorney General	Keith Ellison	54.3%	Ronald J. Schutz	45.5%

Minnesota saw a large increase in early voting compared with the last midterm.

North Dakota maintains a Republican stronghold despite national shifts

While Minnesota moved blue, North Dakota remained a bastion of Republican strength. In every statewide partisan race, Republicans led by wide margins. Republican Julie Fedorchak won the U.S. House seat with 57.4% of the vote, comfortably defeating Democrat Trygve Hammer, who received 36.7%. The Republican dominance was consistent across the state’s executive offices, with candidates for Secretary of State, Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner, and Tax Commissioner all clearing 62% of the vote.

The election in North Dakota also featured significant local measures that reflected the state’s conservative leanings and specific community priorities. Voters rejected Constitutional Measure 1, which would have required a 60% threshold for constitutional amendments. A measure to require public schools to provide free breakfast and lunch, known as Amendment 2, narrowly failed, with the "no" side leading 50.6% to 49.4%.

Despite the statewide Republican success, the state saw its lowest voter turnout in a general election in the last 50 years, according to Valley News Live.

Democrats Take Control of Congress in Midterm Landslide

JD Vance highlights cost of living and foreign policy as drivers of shift

Vice President JD Vance addressed the results on X on Wednesday morning, suggesting that the Republican party struggled to retain voters who had supported the Trump-Vance ticket in 2024.

“The main problem is that many people who voted for Trump/Vance in 2024 voted for Democrats in 2026,” Vance wrote. “The reason we lost is the war.”

Vance noted that internal polling indicated that 2024 Trump voters were looking for specific policy shifts to return to the Republican fold. According to his post, the primary drivers for these voters were ending the war with Iran, addressing the cost of living and inflation, prioritizing an “America First” agenda, and changing the United States’ relationship with Israel.