US TV Networks Project Democrats Have Won the House of Representatives

US television networks projected on Tuesday, the day of the American midterm elections, that the opposition Democratic Party has regained control of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Congress, and has also won several Senate seats. If Democrats secure majorities in both chambers, President Donald Trump's Republicans will find it harder to advance their agenda during his remaining two years in office.

House and Senate

NBC projects that Democrats have won at least 244 of the 435 House seats. A majority requires 218. Based on partial results, Democrats have so far secured 116 seats, a gain of four, while Republicans have 66, a loss of four.

In the Senate, Democrats are projected to have taken seats from Republicans in at least six states, including traditionally Republican-leaning South Carolina, Kansas and Texas.

In Texas, NBC and CBS projections show Democrat James Talarico defeating Republican Ken Paxton. Democrats have not won a Senate race in the state for almost 40 years. In Kansas, CNN and NBC project Democrat Adam Hamilton, a Methodist minister, defeating Republican Roger Marshall. He will become the first Democrat since 1932 to win a Senate seat in Kansas.

The midterms elect all 435 members of the House and one third of the Senate. The results will determine whether Republicans keep control of Congress.

Trump criticizes Fox News

On election night, 80-year-old Trump watched the first results and posted three messages on his social media platform Truth Social attacking the conservative TV channel Fox News. He blamed a drop in its ratings on insufficient loyalty to him, writing that the ratings are "way down not because of me, but because they are against me." He called one of the channel's hosts "dumb as a boot" and described the channel's voter poll as "always the worst." Trump also said the channel's ratings were down to 27%.