By late Tuesday night, it was clear that Democrats had succeeded in turning the 2026 US midterm elections into the so-called "blue wave" that had been predicted by pollsters.

But by Wednesday morning, the scale of the victory had turned into a "blue tsunami," surprising even the most optimistic political pundits.

In January, Democrats are set to have a commanding majority of at least 237 to 139 in the House and a 54 to 44 advantage in the Senate.

Democratic candidates flipped seven highly competitive Senate seats, including in what have for decades been reliably Republican districts in "red" states.