Signs encourage students to vote outside of Florida A&M’s on-campus voting precinct. FAMUAN file photo. (Khalil Lullah-Ballentine / FAMUAN).
“This is close to an extinction-level event for Republicans,” said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis following Tuesday’s midterm elections.
Democrats won nationwide in races where they had not seen victory in decades. Democrats have won majorities in both the U.S. House and Senate, blow to the Trump administration and the majority the Republican Party held in both Houses.
In Texas, Democrats James Talarico and Gina Hinjosa made history, marking the first time a Democrat has won statewide there since 1994.
Democrats flipped six Senate seats in Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, South Carolina, Maine and Texas. In Alaska and Mississippi, Democratic candidates are currently maintaining narrow leads in their Senate races.
They also triumphed in gubernatorial races, taking five seats formerly held by Republicans in Georgia, Ohio, Iowa, Texas and Nevada. They are also holding leads in Kansas and Alaska.
President Trump weighed in on the results on Truth Social, writing, “I wasn’t on the ballot, and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
The night was also one of many firsts: Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman Governor in history, Gina Hinojosa became Texas’ first Latina governor and Abdul El-Sayed became the first Muslim senator in American history.
Following the wins of David Crowley, Aaron D. Ford and Byron Donalds, Wisconsin, Nevada and Florida each elected a Black governor for the first time.
In New Mexico, Deb Haaland became the first Native American woman elected Governor, and in Minnesota, Peggy Flanagan made history, becoming the first Native American woman elected to the U.S. Senate.
In Florida, the national blue wave was muted, but races remained close. In the state that voted for Trump by over 13.1% in 2024, Republican candidates Ashley Moody and Byron Donalds only narrowly claimed victory, both winning around 50.9% of voters.
“I want to send a special thank you to all of the people of this great state, even if you didn’t vote for me, you have my word that I will be your governor too,” Donalds said as he claimed victory.
During her victory speech, Sen. Moody expressed gratitude to her voters.
“My name is on the ballot, but this was about the people of Florida standing up for this incredible free state that we have built,” Moody said.
In Florida U.S. House District Two, which encompasses Tallahassee, Republicans notched another victory as Republican Austin Rogers won with 52.1% over Democrat Amanda Marie Green.
Amendment 3, which could potentially greatly decrease the amount of taxes collected by cities and counties, passed by about 62%
On a state level, Florida Democrats notched wins in the Florida State House, flipping 15 seats and disrupting the GOP supermajority.
In Tallahassee, progressives claimed a majority on the City Commission after city commissioner Jeremy Matlow clinched a narrow victory over former Florida Sen. Lorrane Ausley, winning the race for Mayor with 51% of the vote.
P.J. Perez, another progressive, won over Tom Derzypolski handily by 64.1%, although progressive candidate Dot Inman-Johnson lost to incumbent moderate Diane Williams Cox after Cox won with 51.7%.
This marks a new 3-2 split in City Hall, with progressives gaining a foothold after moderates have held it for the past six years.