Barack Obama spent the closing weeks of the midterm campaign on the road for Democrats, and once the votes landed he had something to tell the country.

The 44th president applauded the Democratic sweep in a post on the social platform X early Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, hours after his party seized control of both the House and the Senate in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Obama wrote, “Tonight, the American people sent a clear message — they want a politics that brings people together rather than divides them, and leaders who offer concrete solutions to the challenges they face.”

He added, “These results were only possible because outstanding candidates stepped forward in every region of the country — including in areas once considered long shots.” Obama also thanked election officials and volunteers from both major parties for the smooth running of the vote.

Obama closed his statement: “While this administration has another two years in office, our job now is to roll up our sleeves, make changes wherever we have the power to do so, prevent further damage, and lay the groundwork for the future.”

Decision Desk HQ had Democrats on track for 54 to 56 Senate seats as of the Nov. 4 count, and projected the party to finish with around 255 House seats. Counting continues in several contests.

Two Senate races remain uncalled. In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom led Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith by 2,574 votes with about 97% of the expected vote counted as of Saturday, Nov. 7. In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola led Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan by 637 votes on Friday, Nov. 6, with about a quarter of ballots still outstanding. Ranked-choice tabulation is set for Nov. 18 if no candidate tops 50 percent.

The House result puts Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., in line to become the country’s first Black speaker. The House will vote on a speaker when the new Congress convenes Jan. 3, 2027. Control of both chambers gives Democrats far greater say over legislation, spending and oversight, including trade, immigration and foreign policy.

Where the Senate Map Flipped

Democrats flipped Senate seats in Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Kansas, Iowa and Maine.

Democrat James Talarico defeated Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to become the first Democratic senator from that state in more than three decades. Democrat Adam Hamilton’s flip in Kansas made him the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Kansas since 1939.

Democrat Troy Jackson beat five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine, and Collins conceded to him, ending her run for a sixth term. Jackson had replaced Graham Platner as the Democratic nominee after Platner withdrew; Platner faced an allegation of sexual assault, which he denied.

Former Sen. Sherrod Brown unseated Republican Sen. Jon Husted in Ohio. Josh Turek won the Iowa Senate race and will replace retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst. Turek said in his victory speech, “They told me it was impossible to win this Senate race, but tonight, Iowa, we have once again proved that the impossible is possible.”

Democrat Annie Andrews defeated Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina. President Donald Trump had backed Graham and Paxton, and both lost. Democrat Abdul El-Sayed beat Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan to become the first Muslim American elected to the U.S. Senate, and Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff won reelection in Georgia.

Hinojosa Unseats Abbott in Texas

Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa unseated Gov. Greg Abbott in Texas. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms won the Georgia governor’s race, making her the first Black woman elected governor in American history.

Amy Acton won the Ohio governor’s race over Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, whom Trump and Vice President JD Vance had backed. Jocelyn Benson won in Michigan, Rob Sand won in Iowa and Amy Klobuchar won in Minnesota.

Klobuchar said in her victory speech, “I am not interested in moving Minnesota to the left or the right; I want to move us forward.” Peggy Flanagan and David Crowley, both endorsed by Obama, made history in their races.

A Cheesecake Factory Jab in Cleveland

Obama campaigned in Cleveland on Oct. 24 for Acton and Brown, casting the midterms as voters’ way to restrain the administration through the ballot box. He targeted a Ramaswamy campaign advertisement featuring Acton’s estranged mother and asked what standards should be expected of candidates for public office.

At the same rally, Obama told supporters that Trump’s renovation projects, including the controversial White House ballroom and the paved-over Rose Garden, made the place look “like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.” Vice President JD Vance called the remark elitist, and Trump called Obama “not a smart guy.” Obama later said he had been a proud patron of the chain for many years.

Obama went to Detroit later that day for El-Sayed and Benson. He acknowledged that El-Sayed, a progressive, had broken with some of his own administration’s policies, and he defended him against attacks involving his name and his Muslim identity, drawing a line back to attacks on Obama’s own background.

Obama accused the Trump administration of mishandling economic policy at an Oct. 28 rally in Morrow, Ga., for Ossoff and Bottoms, saying tariffs were driving up consumer costs and that the administration was pursuing an unnecessary war with Iran. He also mentioned the furor over the tan suit he wore as president. Georgia voters set an early voting record, casting more than two million ballots before Election Day.

Obama had a warning for his own side against running on criticism of Trump alone. Democrats need concrete proposals on health care, housing, utilities and the cost of living, he said.

According to The AP Voter Poll, only about one-third of Hispanic voters said they backed the Republican in their local U.S. House races.

Trump Says He Wasn’t on the Ballot

Trump posted on Truth Social after the results, “I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!”

Trump told Fox News he was surprised: “I thought they’d do better, we had tremendous rallies. I thought that I could transfer those people into candidates.” He congratulated Democrats, saying, “They did a good job. They worked very hard.”