US Midterms

Midterm elections have historically been difficult for incumbent presidents and often shift the balance of power in Washington DC

A backlash against data centres emerged as key theme in the US midterm elections, with voters supporting local restrictions in dozens of towns, while Harwood, North Dakota, proved a notable exception

JD Vance, Ron DeSantis and Ted Cruz joined other Republicans in criticising the party's direction after sweeping election losses, setting the stage for a battle over its future and the 2028 presidenti

Victories by moderates in competitive or Republican-leaning states and districts paved the way for large new Democratic majorities likely to be shaped by their priorities

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said it was "largely true" that the war in Iran cost the Republicans heavy losses in the midterm election, but struck a defiant note, saying he would do it again as it was the "only answer" in the "long term". "Well, I think it's largely true because it drove the gasoline up a little bit short term," Trump told reporters when asked about Vice President J D Vance's remarks that the Iran war led to Republican losses in the election. "But at the same time, if I had it to do again, I'd have to do it again. Because long term, it's the only answer. You can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon," he said. The president insisted that the US would have done nothing different as far as the war was concerned. "But I can tell you that as far as that war is concerned, I would have done nothing different. We've totally broken their military. The navy's gone. Their air force is gone. Their anti-aircraft is gone," Trump said. "The Iran thing, we had to do, and we

JD Vance publicly broke from President Donald Trump's defence of the Iran war Wednesday after the Republican Party's deep losses in the midterm elections, attempting to distance himself from voters' clear rebuke of the president as the vice president faces questions about his own political ambitions. Vance, who has said he would decide after the election whether to run for president in 2028, issued a lengthy social media post blaming the unpopular conflict with Iran for the GOP's drubbing. Vance said, "If you'd like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so." But arguing that the war was worth it is what Trump repeatedly did on the campaign trail, continued to do in interviews as election results came in and did again Wednesday morning. As he led reporters on an impromptu visit to the ballroom he's constructing at the White House, Trump said, "The Iran thing, we had to do and we continue to do it." Trump said he spoke to Vance o

The Samosa caucus is set to regain its heft on Capitol Hill with Democrats wresting control of the US House of Representatives, and newcomers Pia Dandiya and Amish Shah set to join four Indian American lawmakers. The Samosa Caucus, the informal group of Indian American lawmakers, was set to shrink to four with Congressman Shri Thanedar losing the Democratic primary from Michigan and Raja Krishnamoorthi making an unsuccessful bid to contest the Senate poll from Illinois. Indian-American Ami Bera, Ro Khanna, Suhas Subramanyam and Pramila Jayapal have been re-elected to the US House of Representatives, while Dandiya made a strong debut by winning the newly carved out 22nd congressional district in Florida, a Republican stronghold. Shah, an emergency room doctor, was on course to win Arizona's first Congressional district bagging 52.6 per cent votes against 45.4 polled by Republican Jay Feely. The results were yet to be declared as 85 per cent votes have been counted. Several other ...

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday said that the results of the mid-term elections are a "referendum" on politicians telling working people that their needs were unrealistic, and it was "incredible" to see the sweeping victories registered by Democrats in the House and Senate. "It was incredible to see the blue wave," Mamdani said at a press conference. He was referring to the sweeping wins across the country registered by the Democratic Party in Tuesday's mid-term elections that have given them control of the House and Senate and delivered a stunning rebuke to President Donald Trump and the policies of the Republican Party. Mamdani said the result was a referendum on politics at large across America. "This referendum was on politicians telling working people that their needs were unrealistic, while those same politicians were willing to do whatever it is that the wealthiest people in the country would ask them to do. And I think this election is also a referendum on .

It was a tough election night for US President Donald Trump as he lashed out at Republican candidates and even the media for the political reversals in the midterm elections. Some of his reactions, reflected in Truth Social posts, were balanced, while others appeared to just vent off steam as poll results trickled in. "The Fox News poll, always the worst, is so insulting with the questions they ask. Every question is a hit job, and every answer is BULLSHIT! This has been going on for years," Trump said about his favourite news channel. Trump, who addressed 30 rallies urging voters to pretend that he was on the ballot, did a U-turn and blamed the electoral losses on the Republican candidates. "I wasn't on the ballot, and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE," Trump said as the trends indicated a wave in favour of the Democrats. As the Republicans lost Texas, a strong red state, to the Democrats, Trump targeted outgoing Governor Gregg Abbott and questioned his commitment to th

After a flurry of rallies where he implored supporters to pretend that he was on the ballot, President Donald Trump led his Republican Party to a stunningly complete wipeout in the midterm elections. Now he may work just as tirelessly to insist it wasn't his fault. Republican losses swept Democrats into control of Congress with a wave of Senate victories that once seemed far-fetched in GOP strongholds. There were wins in South Carolina and Kansas, which had not elected a Democratic senator since 1932. In Texas, Democrats had been shut out of every statewide race for more than three decades, until Tuesday. Trump was already backpedaling even before the full extent of his party's defeat was known. On election night, he sounded more humble than usual, pledging to work with Democrats and to accept the election results. But he was still seeking to deflect responsibility. "I don't like to consider it a defeat for me. I wasn't on the ballot," he told Fox News. Voters, he said, just "didn'

From Vivek Ramaswamy to Pia Dandiya, here's how Indian-American candidates fared in the 2026 US midterm elections

For equity markets, the political uncertainty comes at a time when US stocks are trading with considerable momentum, but financial conditions have tightened and energy prices remain elevated.

The Democrats won a landslide victory in both chambers of the US Congress on Tuesday in a sharp rebuke of President Donald Trump's policies

Indian-American Democratic lawmaker Ami Bera has won reelection to US House in California's 3rd Congressional District, defeating Republican Robb Tucker. Bera, 61, won his eighth term in the US House of Representatives. Physician-turned-politician Amerish Babulal 'Ami' Bera is the longest-serving Indian American in the US Congress and is considered a strong voice on healthcare and diplomacy. He was first elected to Congress in 2013 and currently serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Born in Los Angeles in 1965 to Gujarati immigrant parents, Bera went to public schools in California where he earned his bachelor's degree in biological sciences and Doctor of Medicine from the University of California, Irvine. With help from his family, scholarships, and working part-time, he put himself through medical school while taking advantage of federally funded student loans and graduating with less than USD 10,000 in debt, Bera's congressional biography said. Bera worked as the chie

Democrats win control of both chambers of the US Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, dealing a setback to Donald Trump, as several key Republican-held seats fall to the opposition party

Election victories in Texas, Ohio and Georgia could expose a large share of planned US AI data centre projects to moratoriums, tighter regulation and local opposition

In an interview with Fox News, Trump said Democrats would send legislation he considered "insane" ​to his desk and that ‌he would veto it

Indian-American candidate for New York Attorney General, Saritha Komatireddy, who had President Donald Trump's endorsement, conceded defeat in the mid-term elections, saying public service means serving people, not celebrity or personal gain. Komatireddy, Republican, was in the race for New York Attorney General against Democrat incumbent Letitia James. "I am deeply grateful to the thousands of volunteers, supporters, and everyday New Yorkers who believed in our campaign and our vision for a safer and stronger New York. I'm proud of the campaign we ran," Komatireddy said in a post on X. Komatireddy said her campaign showed that politics does not have to be about division and hate which brought people together. "Ultimately, that's what public office is about public service means serving people, not celebrity or personal gain. Whatever I do moving forward will be about exactly that serving others and making New York safer," she said. Komatireddy, who has been endorsed by Trump, ma

Indian-American Vivek Ramaswamy, who was backed by US President Donald Trump, lost Ohio's gubernatorial race to Democrat Amy Acton. Ramaswamy, 41, lost to 60-year-old Acton, who became the first woman to be elected governor of the state. Acton bagged over 51 per cent of the votes while Ramaswamy won over 45 per cent. In concession remarks in Ohio after losing the governor's race, Ramaswamy said: "It was a tough race. It was bitter at times in both directions... All of us in this room should be rooting for the success of her administration," C-SPAN quoted him as saying. The billionaire also thanked his parents, his wife and her parents for their support. Ramaswamy lost despite having top strategists from his and Vice President JD Vance's political teams advising him, NBC News reported. Ramaswamy, who made an unsuccessful bid against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, pumped more than USD 36 million in loans from his personal fortune into the race, The Washin

Indian American Pia Dandiya won the election to the US House of Representatives from Florida's 22nd congressional district, defeating Casey Askar, a Marine veteran. Dandiya, a former high school principal, bagged 51.9 per cent of the votes to become the newest Indian-American US congresswoman, as per the results declared on Tuesday. Her opponent Askar polled 49.1 per cent of the votes. Born to parents who migrated to the US from India, Dandiya had earlier sought to challenge Republican Brian Mast, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, from Florida's 21st district. The former high school principal later shifted to South Florida 22nd district that was carved out in redistricting and where no incumbent was in the fray. "Florida's 22nd District was one of the most competitive districts for Democrats, and Pia just turned it blue," Chintan Patel, Executive Director, Indian American Impact, said in a statement. "Indian American Impact has been proud to support her from th