MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democrats in Texas took control of the state House after historic wins for governor and U.S. Senate, part of a series of sweeping gains nationwide in Tuesday’s elections that shifted the balance of power across several battleground and Republican-leaning states.
It will be the first time Democrats control the House in Texas since Republicans took over after the 2002 election. Republicans are keeping control of the Senate in the state — which also elected Gina Hinojosa its first Democratic governor since George W. Bush ousted Ann Richards in 1994.
In this year's midterm elections, the party took full control — both statehouse chambers and governors' offices — in at least five states where they previously shared power.
The wins put pressure on the party to answer to an electorate angry over the rising cost of living, high gas prices, inflation and the lack of affordable housing. State governments shape a wide array of policies affecting everyday lives, including tax rates and abortion rights, school choice and education funding, data center development, and the use of artificial intelligence and law enforcement surveillance cameras.
“Now it’s time to deliver,” said Devin Remiker, chairman of Wisconsin's Democratic Party, which retained the governor’s office and successfully flipped both chambers of the state Legislature, breaking a 16-year Republican majority.
Democrats also won or retained full control of both chambers of the legislatures in Michigan, Minnesota and Pennsylvania and kept the governor's office for trifectas in all three.
In Nevada, they gained control by winning the governor's seat and retaining the legislature.
There will be pressure on Democrats in Wisconsin and other battleground states to redraw congressional maps, just as President Donald Trump successfully urged eight Republican-led states to do ahead of this election. But that backfired, with Republicans losing most of the Democratic-held seats they had targeted to flip and others they had banked on winning.
The Republican congressional redistricting in Texas may have mobilized additional Democratic voters in some parts of the state who helped drive gains in the statehouse, said Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University in Houston.
But “when we’re trying to think about why Democrats won, it’s one man in the White House and his policies — Donald Trump,” Jones said.
Even under maps that favored Republicans in Wisconsin, Democrats picked up two congressional seats in Tuesday's races. That means the state will have an evenly divided congressional delegation in 2027.
Democrats will also hold at least 28 governorships in 2027, with pickups in Georgia, Iowa, Ohio and Texas — states long held by Republicans.
And the party broke or prevented Republican supermajorities in nine legislative chambers in eight states: Florida, South Carolina, Indiana, Missouri, Iowa, Ohio, Kansas and North Carolina.
That means Republicans would need help from Democratic lawmakers to override a Democratic governor’s veto in Iowa, Ohio and North Carolina. The Associated Press has not called the governor’s race in Kansas.
The wins come after Democrats lost nearly 1,000 state legislative seats during President Barack Obama's tenure, a slide they've been trying to reverse for several cycles.
It's the biggest single-election change of partisan power in state governments since 2010, said Katie Owens Hubler, director of elections and redistricting at the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Lawmakers who will soon be in the majority say the change brings expectations. “We know that people will be counting on us to deliver, and we take that incredibly seriously,” said Wisconsin state Rep. Greta Neubauer, currently the minority leader of state Assembly Democrats.
Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, said the party won “historic levels of power in statehouses.” She said they hadn’t flipped this many seats nationwide since the 1980s.
This time, she said, Democrats will have to focus on issues that matter to middle-class voters such as improving educational opportunities and increasing access to healthcare, particularly in rural areas.
“This election is about kitchen-table issues; it’s about economic opportunities,” she said Wednesday. “That is what the mandate is about.”
The cost of groceries, housing, healthcare, gas and utility bills were campaign talking points after legislative sessions packed with bills aiming to make life more affordable for Americans, while also providing tax relief and reining in data center development and the use of artificial intelligence.
The coming legislative session could see major efforts to lighten the tax burden on the middle class, relax housing regulations, expand access to healthcare, and force utilities and data center developers to do more to stop electricity bills from rising.
It was the first time since 1992 that Democrats won control of both legislative chambers and the governor's office at the same time in Pennsylvania.
Gov. Josh Shapiro, in a news conference Wednesday at the governor’s residence in Harrisburg, singled out sending more aid to the state’s mass transit agencies, raising the state minimum wage, protecting abortion rights in the state constitution, and building more housing.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. Jordan Harris, a Philadelphia Democrat, noted at a news conference that the Democratic-controlled House passed many bills that died in the Republican-controlled Senate.
“Oh, guess what?" he said. "We’re gonna dust them bad boys off, because we coming for you!”
Incoming Democratic governors, including Wisconsin's David Crowley and Minnesota's Amy Klobuchar, said they wanted to work with Republicans.
“I am not interested in moving Minnesota to the left or the right; I want to move us forward,” Klobuchar said.
She even had a warning for her Democratic supporters.
“Spoiler alert: You may not like every single thing I do,” she said.
Mulvihill reported from Haddonfield, New Jersey. Associated Press reporters Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and David Lieb in Washington contributed.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, accompanied by Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, left, and Pennsylvania Speaker of the House Joanna McClinto, speaks with members of the media during a news conference at the Governor's Residence in Harrisburg, Pa., Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Iowa Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand speaks during an election night event Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)
Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Crowley, left, greets supporters at an election night event Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Real Madrid produced another late comeback in the Champions League as Federico Valverde struck in stoppage time to seal a 3-2 win over AEK Athens on Wednesday.
Liverpool, however, fell to a surprise 3-2 defeat at Fenerbahce on a dramatic night of action, while Manchester City battled to victory over RB Leipzig by the same score after twice blowing leads, and Como beat Lens 9-1.
Last season's runner-up Arsenal beat Slavia Prague 2-1.
Madrid joined back-to-back defending champion Paris Saint-Germain as the only other team to have a 100% winning record after four games played in this season's competition. But that perfect start was put under serious threat in Greece.
The record 15-time European champion twice went behind at Allwyn Arena and needed Valverde's long-range strike in the 92nd minute to seal victory.
"Of course, I prefer to win more comfortably, but these games in the final minutes — only we can win them,” Madrid coach Mourinho told broadcaster Movistar.
Madrid also needed a late rally to beat Roma 4-3 last month, scoring three goals in the last 10 minutes, including a 90th minute winner from Antonio Rudiger.
AEK led through Aboubakary Koita in the first half before Jude Bellingham leveled with a back heel.
Stavros Pilios put the home team 2-1 ahead in the 75th, but Kylian Mbappé equalized three minutes later.
Mbappé then hit the bar before Valverde's dramatic winner.
“The players have courage. I’m very lucky to have players of this quality. Very lucky,” Mourinho said.
Madrid is second in the standings, behind PSG on goal difference.
Liverpool twice blew the lead against Fenerbahce before losing for the first time in this season's Champions League.
Trey Nyoni and Alexander Isak gave the Merseyside club the lead in each half, with former Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood and Archie Brown leveling for Fenerbahce on each occasion.
Vedat Muriqi struck the winner in the 89th as Liverpool fell to back-to-back losses in all competitions following defeat to Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.
“The main reason I can find for why we lost this game is we conceded from three set pieces,” Liverpool coach Andoni Iraola said. “We knew it was one of the strengths of Fenerbahce. We concede from a free-kick, a corner and even from the long throw at the end. It’s frustration because it’s a difficult place to come here and play.”
Victory will have been particularly sweet for Fenerbahce interim coach, former Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt.
It was Fenebahce's first win in the Champions League since 2008.
Erling Haaland came back to haunt Leipzig and drag City over the line after being pushed to the limit at Red Bull Arena.
The Norway striker has scored 13 goals against the German club from his time at Borussia Dortmund and City. He came up with the winner in the 78th after City twice failed to hold onto the lead.
Haaland, who scored five goals in City’s 7-0 rout of Leipzig in 2023, slid in to turn home Elliot Anderson’s cross to seal victory.
City led through an own goal from Castello Lukeba in the first half but conceded four minutes into the second half when Ridle Baku equalized.
Enzo Fernandez headed City back in front and Antonio Nusa leveled again soon after, leaving to Haaland to hit his 14th goal of the season.
First-half goals from Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres put Arsenal on course for victory at Slavia Prague and despite conceding in the 90th, the Premier League champion sealed a 2-1 win.
Tasos Douvikas scored a hat trick and Cesc Fabregas’ Como routed Lens 9-1 to make it three victories in four matches of its debut season in the competition.
Douvikas has scored in all four of Como’s matches.
Nico Paz also found the net and then instead of celebrating went and grabbed a T-shirt featuring an image of Jesús de Miguel, the Tenerife forward who died following an on-field collision with the opposing team’s goalkeeper.
Paz spent time in Tenerife’s youth system from 2014-16.
Napoli coach Massimiliano Allegri was in crisis following a 4-1 loss at Porto.
Gabriel Veiga, Jakub Kiwior and Samu Aghehowa scored in the second half for the hosts after Scott McTominay’s momentary equalizer.
It was Napoli’s third loss in four matches of the league phase; and the Partenopei are struggling in Serie A, too — having been beat 2-0 at Juventus on Sunday.
Porto has a perfect 10 wins in 10 matches to lead the Portuguese league but had lost its opening three matches in the Champions League.
Konstantinos Karetsas’ first goal for Borussia Dortmund gave the 1997 champion a 2-1 win over Real Betis.
The Greek winger entered for the injured Serhou Guirassy with 10 minutes of the first half remaining and was involved in the buildup after the break when Fábio Silva opened the scoring off the rebound from Álvaro Vallés’ save of Jobe Bellingham’s initial effort.
Aitor Ruibal equalized in the 67th to set off wild celebrations among the many visiting supporters.
Vallés pulled off a point-blank save to deny Bellingham an immediate response before he was finally beaten by Karetsas for what proved the winner in the 72nd.
It gave Dortmund three wins from four games.
Portuguese winger Carlos Forbs scored for the second straight Champions League game to give Club Brugge a 2-1 win at PSV Eindhoven.
Norwegian club Viking earned its first victory in the Champions League proper by beating Azerbaijani club Sabah 4-1.
James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
See AP’s full soccer coverage here
Fenerbahce's Archie Brown, center, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Fenerbahce and Liverpool in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Liverpool's Alexander Isak celebrates after scoring his side's second goalduring the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Fenerbahce and Liverpool in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
AEK Athens' Stavros Pilios celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between AEK Athens and Real Madrid in Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe has a shot blocked during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between AEK Athens and Real Madrid in Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Real Madrid players celebrate with Federico Valverde after he scored his side's third goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between AEK Athens and Real Madrid in Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Manchester City's manager Enzo Maresca speakes during a team's press conference in Leipzig, Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, ahead of the Champions League soccer match against RB Leipzig. (Robert Michael/dpa via AP)
Liverpool's manager Andoni Iraola smiles before the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Arsenal in Liverpool, England, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Racing de Santander and Real Madrid in Santander, Spain, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)
Real Madrid's head coach Jose Mourinho watches during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Racing de Santander and Real Madrid in Santander, Spain, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)
