The Texas victory follows a pattern of Democratic overperformance that began in the November off-year elections, when Democrats dominated major races across the country [4]. November 2025 elections: Democrats holding blue statesThe clearest signal came in November, when Democrats swept gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey — the first major statewide elections since Trump’s return to the White House [5]. State legislative gainsBeyond the high-profile gubernatorial victories, Democrats have notched wins in state legislative elections throughout 2025 and into early 2026 [8]. Democrat Renee Hardman won an Iowa state Senate special election Dec. 30, preventing Republicans from regaining a supermajority in the chamber [10]. The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election handicapper, shifted 18 House races in Democrats’ favor in January, citing Trump’s unpopularity in polling and Democratic special election wins [25].

Source: CNN February 03, 2026 15:05 UTC