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Politics
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Democrats retake House in ‘blue wave’ amid Trump’s historic unpopularity
String of wins sees party pass 218 threshold needed to win majority, as American anger mounts over cost of living US midterm elections – live updates Track live results from all 50 states The Democrats have retaken control of the US House of Representatives as a “blue wave” of opposition to Donald Trump swept the party’s candidates to victory in congressional districts across the country. A string of wins in Republican districts across North Carolina, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and New Jersey saw the party pass the 218 threshold needed to win a majority in the 435-member chamber, the minimum goal in achieving its aim of reining in Donald Trump’s presidential power. Continue reading...
Ohio Republican Max Miller ousted from Congress amid domestic abuse allegations
Despite Trump backing Miller, whom a House committee is investigating, Democrat Brian Poindexter will head to Congress Max Miller was ousted from Congress amid domestic abuse allegations surrounding his divorce to Emily Moreno, the daughter Bernie Moreno, a Republican US senator. Democrat Brian Poindexter will head to Congress next year after defeating Miller. Poindexter is an ironworker who has worked as an apprentice instructor at Ironworkers Local 17 and a union organizer. His father was a machinist and grandfather was unionized auto worker. Continue reading...
Kate McClymont questioned over ‘nail in the coffin’ and poo emoji texts at Alan Jones trial
Award-winning investigative journalist says she ‘probably’ texted an alleged victim’s mother saying ‘I hope the shit does hit the fan for him’, court hears Investigative journalist Kate McClymont has told a Sydney court that an audio recording in which she said new information would be “an absolute nail in the coffin” did not refer to “killing” Alan Jones. In a phone call with the mother of the youngest alleged victim of Jones, which was played in court, the Sydney Morning Herald’s chief investigative reporter expressed excitement when the woman said her son had spoken to police in the same year as the alleged assault. Continue reading...
David Jones expected to fall into administration after failed 11th hour talks with biggest landlord
Future of 188-year-old department store hangs in balance after no agreement was struck with Westfield owner Scentre Group Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast David Jones is poised to fall into administration after 11th-hour talks between its private equity owner and primary landlord broke down, putting the future of the 188-year-old upmarket department store chain at risk. The upheaval follows years of steep losses, weak consumer spending and a string of underperforming stores that left the heritage retailer defaulting on its rent. Continue reading...
Rogue UK energy bosses and brokers face crackdown on mis-selling
Exclusive: Ofgem to be given powers to issue fines and rein in bonuses for executives who ‘reward themselves while customers suffer’ Energy bosses in the UK will have their bonuses curtailed when suppliers and brokers break the rules under a crackdown on mis-selling. Through the energy independence bill, which will be introduced on Wednesday, Ofgem will be given new powers to order compensation, impose fines and ban rogue operators that have pushed businesses and households into overpriced contracts. Continue reading...
Red and blue America have united in their hatred for Donald Trump | Ben Davis
This election represents a wholesale rejection of Trump and the Republican party, by every single segment of American society In a few years, there’s a good chance we look at Tuesday night as the death knell of Trumpism and the Maga movement. He has indelibly changed the face of American politics, and the basic structure of American institutions. And people are sick of it. Fundamentally, nearly everyone’s lives are worse than they were a decade ago. People were willing to tolerate, or even welcome the coarseness, the attacks on American democratic norms, and the global foreign policy order. Ben Davis works in political data in Washington DC. He worked on the data team for the Bernie Sanders 2020 campaign Continue reading...
Democrat Troy Jackson defeats Susan Collins to win Maine US Senate seat in blow to Republicans
Democratic nominee toppled the five-term Republican incumbent in one of the most hard-fought midterm contests US midterm elections – live updates Track live results from all 50 states Tell us: what do you want to know about the midterm election results? The Democrat Troy Jackson has won Maine ’s US Senate race, toppling five-term Republican incumbent Susan Collins in one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 midterms. Jackson, 58, unseated Collins – who has been in the Senate since 1997 – in a closely fought, and often rancorous, race characterized by mutual accusations of corruption and clashes over living costs in the predominantly rural state. Continue reading...
The death knell of Trumpism has finally sounded | Moira Donegan
The electorate voted decisively to curb the president’s power There’s a certain freedom in low expectations. Going in to Tuesday’s midterm elections, forecasts were so grim for the Republicans that poll watchers started trading a kind of knowing joke: that the results would either mean the end of the Trump era, or the end of the polling profession. Amid those sorts of predictions, any Republican victories would have seemed like a minor miracle. The expectation was that Democrats would have a blowout; Republicans, counting on the final tally to be a bit more mixed, would therefore almost certainly have the freedom to claim that they’d done better than anyone had thought they would. Continue reading...
Top Democrat tells Trump and Republicans to ‘lawyer up’ after US midterm defeats
Robert Garcia, set to become oversight chair, vows to take on president while Senator Ron Wyden signals ‘subpoenas’ US midterm elections – live updates Track live results from all 50 states Tell us: what do you want to know about the midterm election results? Robert Garcia, the Democratic congressman set to become the next chair of the oversight committee of the House of Representatives, had two words for Republicans on Tuesday evening: “Lawyer up.” Garcia issued his statement as a blue wave appeared to take hold across the country after voters cast their ballots in the US midterm elections. Democrats retook control of the US Senate, and are widely expected to do the same in the House. Continue reading...
UK apologises to Ukrainian child refugees who were told to study Russian
Exclusive: Schools minister launches new Ukrainian GCSE and says she is sorry students were pushed to study Russian in its absence The UK has apologised to Ukrainian child refugees who were told to study Russian in English schools, as it launched funding for a new GCSE in Ukrainian. Ukrainian children who were forced to seek refuge in the UK after Vladimir Putin’s invasion in 2022 say it was “insulting” that their teachers suggested they study Russian in the absence of a GCSE in Ukrainian. Continue reading...
Tell us: what do you want to know about the midterm election results?
If you have questions about the midterm results, what they mean and what’s next, we’d like to hear from you Democrats win control of Senate as US voters reject Trump’s agenda The results of 2026 US midterm elections are rolling in, and Democrats are poised to retake control of Congress after flipping key swing states and congressional districts. We’ll be hosting a live Q&A on Friday 6 November at noon ET breaking down the results. The Guardian’s political reporters will take questions on everything from how key races shook out, surprising results, what power Democrats will have, and what this all means for Donald Trump. How will Trump’s mass deportation agenda shape the US midterm elections? Your questions answered Will Trump’s economy sink Republicans in the US midterm elections? Our reporters answered your questions Will the Iran war cost Trump in the US midterm elections? Your questions answered Who are the groups financially backing the candidates in the midterms? The makeup of the Democratic party, plus key races to watch Continue reading...
Democrats win control of Senate as US voters reject Trump’s agenda
Republicans routed as Democrats gain powerful new leverage over Trump for remainder of his presidency US midterm elections – live updates Track live results from all 50 states Democrats have regained control of the US Senate, routing Republicans nationwide with historic victories that will give them powerful new leverage over Donald Trump for the remainder of his presidency. Democrats will soon have the ability to hold up not just Trump’s legislative agenda, but also any appointments he makes to his cabinet or the federal judiciary – including the supreme court, where conservatives have a 6-3 majority. Continue reading...
Aukus is ‘worst, riskiest and most costly’ Australian defence decision ever, public inquiry into submarine deal says
Report led by Peter Garrett and former defence chief Adm Chris Barrie says agreement should be suspended and calls for royal commission Get our daily political email , free app or daily news podcast A public inquiry into the $368bn Aukus nuclear submarine agreement has called the plan “the worst, riskiest and most costly defence decision ever made by an Australian government”, urging its immediate termination. Former Labor senator and Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett and former chief of defence Adm Chris Barrie led the inquiry dominated by critics of the deal with the UK and US, recommending the suspension of plans for new bases and for a royal commission to be held into the agreement signed by the former Morrison government. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter here Continue reading...
Josh Turek wins Iowa Senate race to hand Democrats major victory in Republican state
Ashley Hinson loses heated contest in former swing state, a sign Republicans may be losing rural voters US midterm elections – live updates Track live results from all 50 states Democrat Josh Turek has won the US Senate race in Iowa , handing his party a significant victory in a Republican-led state where they have seen their power ebb in the age of Donald Trump. Turek’s victory over his Ashley Hinson, a Republican congresswoman, marked the first time since 2008 that a Democrat had won election to the Senate in Iowa, and represents a milestone in Democrats’ quest to regain control of the Senate. Continue reading...
Democrats aim to sweep most US governor elections after wins in key states
Party sees historic victories with Gina Hinojosa’s stunning upset in Texas and Georgia’s Keisha Lance Bottoms becoming first Black female governor in US Democrats are hoping to win a majority of governor’s offices across the US after marking significant victories in Texas, Georgia, Ohio and Iowa. One of the biggest prizes of the night was the Texas governorship, with Democratic state representative Gina Hinojosa unseating Republican incumbent Greg Abbott in a stunning upset. Hinojosa will be the first Latina governor of the state, and the first Democrat elected to the Texas governorship in 30 years. Continue reading...
Adam Hamilton wins in Kansas to become state’s first Democrat in Senate since 1932
Pastor clinches victory over incumbent Roger Marshall in state that emerged as unexpected battleground this year Democratic pastor Adam Hamilton has clinched a historic victory in the US Senate race in Kansas, defeating Republican incumbent Roger Marshall. He will become the first Democrat to represent the state in the chamber since 1932. Kansas emerged as an unexpected battleground this year as Democrats sought to regain control of the Senate. The closely watched Cook Political Report rated the race as a toss-up, noting it was one of several agriculture-heavy areas to be hit hard by high fuel and fertilizer prices because of Donald Trump’s war on Iran. Continue reading...
Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeats Texas governor Greg Abbott in stunning upset
Hinojosa wins momentous victory, shatters Republican grip on key office and will become state’s first Latina governor US midterm elections – live updates Track live results from all 50 states In a stunning political upset that would have seemed improbable only a few weeks ago, Democrat Gina Hinojosa has defeated three-term governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday, shattering the Republican grip on the state’s highest and most powerful executive office. Hinojosa’s historic victory – she will be the state’s first ever Latina governor – ended Abbott’s bid for an unprecedented fourth term, and delivered Democrats their most consequential victory in the state in a generation. Continue reading...
Democrat Rob Sand wins Iowa’s gubernatorial race as party plans rebuild
Sand, auditor for state with strong Trump support, defeats Maha-backed Republican Zach Lahn as Democrats win big US midterms 2026 live – latest updates Track live results from all 50 states Democrat Rob Sand has been elected governor of Iowa , the Associated Press projects, a milestone as his party seeks to rebuild its political standing in the midwestern state. Sand , the state auditor who is the sole Democrat holding statewide office in Iowa, triumphed over Republican Zach Lahn, a political newcomer backed by Robert F Kennedy Jr’s “Make America healthy again” movement. Continue reading...
Democrat Sherrod Brown wins Ohio Senate race in major blow to Republicans
Brown makes successful return to US Senate after voters reject Republican incumbent Jon Husted Democrat Sherrod Brown will return to the US Senate, as Ohio’s voters rejected the incumbent Jon Husted in a significant defeat for Republicans. Brown’s bid for a comeback after being ousted from the seat he held for 18 years in 2024 became one of the marquee contests of this year’s midterm elections, and a key test of whether Democrats can regain support among the working class and rural voters who have deserted them in recent years. Continue reading...
James Talarico wins Texas Senate race in historic victory for Democrats
Ken Paxton’s defeat a crushing blow to Trump and Republican efforts to keep control of Congress US midterm elections – live updates Track live results from all 50 states Democrat James Talarico has won the US Senate race in Texas, breaking a 38-year drought for his party in the Republican stronghold and delivering a stunning blow to Donald Trump. Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton , the state attorney general and a staunch ally of the US president, in one of the most closely watched contests of the midterm elections to decide control of Congress. Continue reading...
Xavier Becerra wins California race for governor with vows to resist Trump’s agenda
Son of Mexican immigrants will become state’s first Latino governor since 1875 after victory over ex-Fox News host Steve Hilton US midterm elections – live updates Track live results from all 50 states Xavier Becerra, the Democratic former health and human services secretary, was elected governor of California, marking the historic ascension of a longtime public servant who has vowed to resist Donald Trump’s agenda for the final two years of his presidency. Becerra, 68, is the son of Mexican immigrants and will become California’s first Latino governor since 1875, a milestone in a state where more than 40% of residents are Latino and nearly one in two children has an immigrant parent. Becerra was the overwhelming favorite to defeat Steve Hilton, the Republican endorsed by Trump. Continue reading...
ANC faces anger over poor services as South Africans vote in local elections
Party expected to get less than a third of the vote amid frustration over water outages and power cuts The African National Congress is on course for a bruising result in South Africa’s local elections on Wednesday as voters go to the polls amid deep discontent over water outages, power cuts and crumbling infrastructure. The former liberation movement, which Nelson Mandela led to power in 1994 at the end of apartheid as South Africa’s first black president, is still likely to be the largest party. However, polls show it getting less than a third of the vote, down from 45.6% at the last municipal elections in 2021 and 40.2% in 2024’s national elections . Continue reading...
Amy Acton wins Ohio race for governor, ending 16 years of Republican control of office
Democratic doctor wins over Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech entrepreneur endorsed by Donald Trump US midterm elections – live updates Track live results from all 50 states Amy Acton was elected governor of Ohio on Tuesday – a rare victory for the Democratic party in a state that Donald Trump carried three times. Acton, 60, led Ohio’s health department through the first months of the Covid-19 pandemic. She will become the first woman to serve as Ohio’s governor. Her defeat of Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech entrepreneur endorsed by Trump, also ends 16 years of Republican control of the governor’s office. She is the first Democrat to win the post since Ted Strickland in 2006. Continue reading...
Deb Haaland wins in New Mexico and will become first female Native American governor
Democratic candidate defeated Republican Gregg Hull, businessman and longtime mayor of Rio Rancho US midterm elections – live updates Track live results from all 50 states Deb Haaland, the former interior secretary under Joe Biden, has been elected governor of New Mexico and will become the first Native American woman to govern a US state. Haaland, a Democrat, defeated her Republican opponent Gregg Hull, 60, a businessman and the longtime mayor of the city of Rio Rancho. Continue reading...