Not just Congress: Democrats’ blue wave washes over state legislatures across US

Democrats made sweeping gains in state legislatures in Tuesday’s US midterm elections, extending a nationwide electoral wave beyond Congress. The victories give the party governing power in several states where it had been shut out for years, opening the way for new laws on issues including wages, abortion access, climate and immigration enforcement.

With votes still being counted, Democrats had gained 258 legislative seats, taken 11 chambers from Republicans, broken Republican supermajorities in 10 states and created six new governing trifectas. They regained full control in Michigan and Minnesota, and are set to control Texas’s state house for the first time since 2002. Democratic governors are expected to lead states home to about 76% of the US population.