A Full-Throated Repudiation

In a stunning night, Democrats take back power in both the House and the Senate

Supporters at a watch party for Texas gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa. (Photo by Joel Angel Juarez via Getty Images

It’s been a long two years. Oh, it’s been a long and painful decade. But finally, resoundingly, the American people have spoken. They have expressed a full-throated repudiation of Donald J. Trump and the party that has enabled him.

On this historic night, the voters—we, the people—have secured a Democratic majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. This is the end of Donald Trump’s unfettered reign of terror. This is the end of a hateful Republican majority arrogantly indifferent to the needs of everyday Americans while obediently serving its morally rotten, corrupt and criminal leader.

As of this writing, Democrats will control at least 235 seats in the House and at least 53 seats in the Senate. And not only is this world-altering shift in power a fierce rebuke of Trump, it has opened the door to a new collection of leaders—talented men and women who have shown that they understand Americans’ nightmare and are motivated to make real change.

In his victory speech, Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff precisely articulated what the voters have done. “The American people have rebuked the depravity, corruption and incompetence of the failed lame-duck president, Donald J. Trump,” he told his supporters.

The reality of this night’s victory—the full scale of which we are still learning—brings to mind another important voice from the deep South. Recall the lyric from Mississippi native Sam Cooke’s iconic song, written in 1964 amid the growing frustration with racial inequality and the necessity of Black civil rights:

It's been a long
A long time coming, but I know
A change gon' come
Oh yes, it will

Consider this partial list of newly elected Democrats, whose victories express the nation’s deep frustration with the overwhelming corruption, the failure to create an affordable society and the cynical presumption that the interests of the rich and morally bankrupt should be America’s priority.

For the first time in more than three decades, Texas will now have a Democratic senator, James Talarico, who defeated the corrupt Ken Paxton. Texas will now have a Democratic governor, Gina Hinojosa, who defeated the Trumpist Greg Abbott. She is the first Latina and Mexican American in the state’s history.

With over 90 percent of the votes reported, neither of these races were even close, providing not only a rebuke to Trump but also Elon Musk, who spent over $200 million to buy Ken Paxton a Senate seat and even more in other races. “We just took back Texas,” Talarico said in his victory speech. “We just proved that all the money in the world is no match for the people of Texas.”

In addition to Talarico, the U.S. Senate will now include Annie Andrews from South Carolina, a pediatrician who beat the unfit Darline Graham in a stunning upset. Andrews will now hold the seat that Strom Thurmond held for half of a century before Darline’s brother, Lindsey. Darline, like Ken Paxton, was foisted upon the voters by Trump.

Adding to this list of senatorial seats that flipped to the Democrats: Roy Cooper in North Carolina, Sherrod Brown in Ohio, Josh Turek in Iowa, Adam Hamilton in Iowa, and Troy Jackson in Maine (yes, Susan Collins is finally out). In the hours and days ahead, Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, Mary Peltola in Alaska and maybe even Scott Colom in Mississippi are among those who may join this seismic blue wave.

The victory of two other new governors brought tears to my eyes: Ohio’s Amy Acton, who defeated the Trumpist slime-bag Vivek Ramaswamy, and Georgia’s Keisha Lance Bottoms, who becomes the first Black female governor in American history. It’s particularly touching that Bottoms achieves this milestone in a southern state that played a central role in the old Confederacy and fought to maintain slavery.

In the days ahead, there will be plenty more to say. But on this night, I am filled with the promise that America really can turn the corner from this hateful chapter in our nation’s history. That means a Democratic majority that checks his lawless abuse of power, pursues accountability and recognizes its responsibility to serve the people. “We understand the American people are crying out for transformational change,” insisted Hakeem Jeffries, who is poised to become the first Black speaker of the House.

Of course, the deranged and dangerous White House occupant will continue to pursue outrageous new ways to sabotage our beloved country, even as the size of this defeat has led him to say he will accept these results.

But let’s not let such thoughts spoil the beauty of this moment. Instead, let’s take inspiration from America’s repudiation, infused with the hope of better days ahead. I leave you with the closing lines of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come”:

There been times that I thought
I couldn’t last for long
But now, I think I’m able
To carry on

It’s been a long
A long time coming, but I know
A change gon’ come
Oh yes, it will

I remain committed to raising my voice as vividly and fiercely as I can. I hope you’ll consider becoming a paid subscriber for just $50 a year or $5 a month to show your support and enhance your engagement—to share your thoughts in the comments sections and access all content.