Political News
Reports on political developments, legislation, and leadership. The Daily Signal provides news and conservative analysis of American politics.
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news
‘Everyone Knows Why We Lost’: Vance Blames Iran War for Blue Wave
Vice President JD Vance blamed the Iran war for 2026 Democrat victories Wednesday in a blunt post on X. “The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night,” stated Vance, who at this point is the presumed front-runner for the 2028 GOP presidential nomination. “If you’d like to argue it… -
opinion
Victor Davis Hanson: Why Midterm Losses Won’t Stop Trump
Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words” from Daily Signal senior contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to Hanson’s own YouTube channel to watch past episodes. This episode was recorded before Tuesday night’s election results. Jack Folwer: Well, Victor, as much as people are consumed with domestic elections, we… -
news
Voters Punish GOP Over Economy, but Democrats May Still Have a Problem, Exit Polls Find
Summary Voters were more dissatisfied with the state of the economy in 2026 than they were in 2024, according to exit polling. While punishing the party in power was the antidote to that on Tuesday, most voters said they didn’t necessarily trust Democrats to handle key issues more than Republicans, as both parties had low… -
news
Mike Johnson Won’t Remain In House Leadership After Big Midterm Losses
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, is taking himself out of the running for minority leader after the GOP was dealt widespread midterm losses on Tuesday night, a source familiar with the decision told the Daily Signal. Johnson announced his decision this morning, just hours after the House and Senate were called for Democrats, on… -
news
Why Voters Backed Democrats in Midterm Blowout
About three-quarters of voters said the Iran War was a crucial factor in what candidate they supported in the 2026 midterm elections, according to an NBC exit poll. Among the 74% of voters who said the Iran War was a crucial factor, 62% voted Democratic and 35% voted Republican. President Donald Trump’s operation in Iran… -
news
AI Fears Emerge as Winning Issue for Democrats
THE DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—Americans’ growing fears about artificial intelligence followed them to the polls Tuesday and spread across party lines. Seventy-six percent of voters reject building data centers in their local community, and 43 percent do not trust either party to tackle AI, according to early CNN exit poll results. These findings reflect similar… -
news
Big Night for Democrats Hides Conservatives’ Victories on Ballot Measures
On the same night voters delivered a blue wave and expanded abortion rights, conservatives saw some victories on ballot measures regarding election integrity and protecting women’s sports. Any hopes of passing the SAVE America Act disappeared with the new congressional majority. However, voters in multiple states approved measures to ensure that only citizens vote and… -
news
Trump’s Explanation for Midterm Blue Wave
President Donald Trump blamed the candidates and the Iran war for the massive Republican losses in the 2026 midterm elections. “They didn’t like the candidates, and some of the candidates that I endorsed fought me, and they didn’t like it,” he said in a late-night Fox Business interview. “This MAGA base is incredible, the most… -
news
Elon Musk’s Business Empire Braces for Democrat Wave as Texas Flips Blue
Nov. 4 (Reuters)—As Republicans suffered a landslide defeat and Texas elected its first Democrat governor in more than three decades, one of the biggest losers of the U.S. midterms was not on the ballot: billionaire Elon Musk. The world’s richest man spent nearly half a billion dollars to back Republican candidates and keep Texas red—a… -
news
Democrats Gain 2 House Seats in Virginia, Easily Retain Senate Seat
Democrats apparently flipped two of Virginia’s 11 House seats, adding them to the nationwide blue wave. The slate featured a mix of easy-to-call races with some nail-biters, as counting stretched into the night. In the 1st District, Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor declared victory in her race against Republican 10-term incumbent Rep. Rob Wittman…. -
news
Abdul El-Sayed Wins Michigan Senate Race
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed will defeat Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan’s closely watched U.S. Senate race Tuesday, projects Decision Desk. The candidates competed for an open seat after Democrat Sen. Gary Peters announced last year he would not run for reelection. El-Sayed, a Michigan native who will become the first Muslim member of the U.S. Senate,… -
breaking
Maine Gets New Senate Leadership as Jackson Overthrows Collins
Maine Democrat Troy Jackson defeated Sen. Susan Collins in one of the nation’s most closely watched midterm races, claiming a Senate seat she held for nearly 30 years. Decision Desk HQ projected Jackson as the winner at 1:10 a.m. EST, with 76% of the vote in and Jackson leading Collins with 53% of the vote… -
opinion
Winners and Losers From the 2026 Midterms
There’s no sugar-coating it: Republicans lost badly in the 2026 midterms, suffering stunning defeats in states once considered reliably red and seeing Democrats take control of both chambers of Congress. President Donald Trump encouraged Americans to vote like he was on the ballot, and many may have done so. Democratic socialists and a resurgent religious… -
news
California Stays Blue: Biden’s Former Health Secretary Xavier Becerra Wins Governor’s Race
Summary California will remain under Democrat leadership for another four years, as former Biden administration official Xavier Becerra has defeated Republican Steve Hilton in the race for governor. Decision Desk HQ called the race for Becerra at 11:13 p.m. EST, with Becerra leading Hilton by 64.6% to 35.6%. The result was expected, as the latest… -
breaking
Democrats Take the Senate
Democrats are projected to control the Senate in 2027 after picking up several seats in Tuesday night’s midterm election. As of 6 a.m. Eastern, the Democrats will hold 54 seats, the Republicans 44, with races in Alaska and Mississippi still to be decided. Decision Desk HQ made the call just after 11 p.m. EST. With… -
analysis
What Democrat Control of House Means for Trump
Democrats are projected to retake control of the House in Tuesday’s midterm elections, threatening impeachments and investigations of the president and administration officials. Democrats will now control committees and hold subpoena power, with the ability to launch investigations, hold hearings, and impeach the president and members of his Cabinet. “Lawyer up,” Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif.,… -
news
Democrat James Talarico Flips Texas Senate Seat Blue
Democrat James Talarico has defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton for the Texas Senate seat, projects Decision Desk HQ. According to Decision Desk HQ, with 68% of votes counted, Talarico received 55.3% to Paxton’s 43%, marking the first time a Democrat has held the seat since 1988. Talarico, a Democrat state representative from Austin, won… -
breaking
Democrats Recapture the House, Speaker Johnson Worries They’ll Turn It Into a ‘Circus’
Democrats will take control of the House of Representatives as New York Democrat Rep. Hakeem Jeffries appears headed toward a speakership. “America is back,” Jeffries declared. As of 6 a.m. Eastern, Democrats have won 228 seats to the Republicans’ 139, with 68 races still to be called. Only 218 seats are needed for a majority…. -
breaking
BATTLE FOR CONGRESS: Trump Responds to Stinging GOP Senate Defeats
Watch for live updates here on the dramatic battle between Democrats and the GOP for control of Congress. 1:50 a.m.—Any GOP optimism to defy history and win the 2026 midterms faded early on Tuesday night. Then, any optimism that the election wouldn’t be a blue wave also faded, as the wave turned into a tsunami…. -
breaking
SOCIALISM WATCH: DSA Expands Reach in House
LIVE UPDATES: Race calls and election updates on Democratic Socialists of America candidates and their allies. All times Eastern. 1:20 a.m.—The Democratic Socialists of America claimed 84 wins from the 2026 midterms, from ballot initiatives to state and local races, to seven races for the U.S. House of Representatives. The DSA built power in local…