Ballot processing workers prepare for the vote count that will begin after polls close at the Ballot Processing Center in City of Industry, California, US, on November 3, 2026. Photo: VCG

Described by some US and European media as a "blue wave" or "blue tsunami," the 2026 US midterm election result showed Democrats were projected to win control of both chambers of Congress.

As of early Wednesday morning, US time, Democrats were projected to win at least 245 House seats, with Republicans winning a minimum of 160 seats, according to the CNBC Election Desk. Democrats were also on track to hold at least 54 seats in the Senate, with Republicans likely to hold at least 42 seats.

Chinese analysts observed that the results stem from voters' desire to "eliminate uncertainty," reflecting the "pendulum effect" in US politics rather than a broad endorsement of Democratic policy platforms. The post-election landscape may also point to deepening political infighting and societal polarization nationwide, they noted. 

Per NPR, the twin victories in the House and Senate "return the Democratic Party to full control of Congress for the first time since 2023 and deepen the level of expected friction between US President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats in a new era of divided government."

Trump congratulated Democrats on their midterm election victories in a phone call with CBS News. "My message is, congratulations to the Democrats, and I look forward to working with you for the good of our country," he said. Reuters reported that House Speaker Mike Johnson said he was "disappointed" by the overwhelming gains made by Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections, but he vowed to battle on against what he called an "insurgent socialist movement." 

The Republicans' loss of full congressional control to the Democrats in the midterm elections may be attributed to the flawed domestic governance, marked by high inflation and swelling national debt that hurt ordinary Americans, especially young people, and undesirable foreign-policy results such as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and renewed tensions in the Middle East, Zhu Ying, a professor at the American research center of the Baize Institute at the Southwest University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times. 

Winning midterm elections is statistically rare for an incumbent president's party. Many voters cast ballots chiefly to ease Republican-driven national uncertainty. While a Democratic-led Congress may rein in Trump's proposals, it cannot drive fundamental US reform or fix deep-seated economic and living-standard woes, Zhu said. 

The outcome of these midterm elections largely reflects the "pendulum effect" in US politics, rather than a broad voter endorsement of Democratic policy agendas, Zhang Jiadong, a professor at the Center for American Studies, Fudan University, told the Global Times. 

Zhang noted that the political shifts brought by this election should not be overstated and to some extent, they merely represent normalcy in US politics. He noted that no single party can sustain popular approval for long, which is a phenomenon rooted in deeper-seated economic structural factors.

According to an Associated Press report, Democratic control will profoundly reshape Trump's final two years in office and "hamstring his legislative agenda." 

Zhu noted that following the midterms, Congress will wield investigative powers amid mounting political infighting and social division. As societal polarization deepens in the US, rational centrist blocs have little room to gain traction and different groups may take sharply hardened stances on immigration, social regulation, religion and foreign policy issues.

Trump admitted that the Iran war played a part in the midterm election results that saw Republicans taking a significant defeat, reported Fox News. The Iran war could reach an earlier conclusion, as the election outcome sends a clear message that US voters are against the war, some Chinese analysts noted. 

Zhang said a divided government could undermine the coherence and effectiveness of US foreign policy. While the president holds substantial authority over foreign and defense policy, advancing specific initiatives often requires congressional support. Democrats are likely to use their legislative and budgetary powers to pressure the Trump administration on issues including the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

At the Chinese Foreign Ministry's regular press conference on Wednesday, a reporter asked how China viewed the recent US congressional elections and whether it saw any fresh possibilities in China-US relations.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that the US midterm elections are a domestic affair. China stands ready to continue working with the US to uphold and deliver on the important common understandings reached by the two heads of state, enhance communication, properly manage differences, expand cooperation, and build a constructive relationship of strategic stability on the basis of respect, fairness, and reciprocity, said Mao. 

Zhu noted the Democrat-controlled Congress may strike louder rhetorical stances on issues such as human rights, technology and national-security issues. However, stable bilateral ties benefit all sides, as pressing global challenges demand joint solutions that take precedence over narrow domestic and geopolitical concerns.