Voters prioritize inflation as GOP faces midterm setback
Midterm election results are drawing scrutiny as host Liz Claman analyzes voters’ concerns about rising inflation and the cost of living. Fox News contributors Joe Concha and Jessica Tarlov join the discussion to explain how a 79% inflation hardship rate impacts Republican candidates. The panel examines the economic message as we approach future political contests.
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In addition to taking control of the House, Senate and gubernatorial majority on Tuesday, Democrats also took control of the majority of state legislatures across the country for the first time in more than a decade.
Heading into the election, Republicans controlled 28 of the nation’s 49 bicameral state legislatures, compared to 18 controlled by Democrats, while three states had split control. Democrats now control both houses in 24 states, compared to 22 for Republicans. North Carolina and Texas have split their legislatures, while elections in Alaska and Georgia remain up in the air. Even if Republicans win the unconvened chambers in swing states, Democrats will still control more state legislatures than Republicans.
Nebraska is included in the Republican count because its unicameral legislature, officially nonpartisan, is led by a Republican majority.
Democrats scored major victories in several key battleground states during the 2026 midterm elections, flipping legislative chambers and securing full control of state governments in places that will shape redistricting and election rules heading into 2028. In Wisconsin, Democrats captured the Assembly and Senate for the first time in years, combining their gubernatorial victories to create a trifecta.
DEMOCRATS Capture Majority of Governors’ Offices in Election Night Shift
Democrats took control of the majority of state legislatures across the country Tuesday night, in addition to taking control of Congress and the majority of governors. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images; Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images)
Similar gains occurred in Michigan, where the party flipped the House and expanded its Senate majority alongside a Democratic governor, and in Minnesota, where Democrats reclaimed the House, held the Senate and won the governorship. Pennsylvania Democrats flipped the Senate while retaining the House, and Arizona voters gave Democrats majorities in both chambers. New Hampshire also saw Democrats flip both houses of the legislature, while the party won the House in Georgia, North Carolina and Texas.
The shift gives Democrats far more power to shape policy across the country, as state lawmakers play a central role in setting election rules, drawing congressional maps, approving budgets and advancing legislation on issues ranging from abortion and guns to education and labor.
This change could also have major redistricting implications. States will redraw congressional and legislative maps after the 2030 census, and the party controlling state government will have greater influence over how those districts are drawn. Democratic control could also lead to legal battles over existing maps and efforts to change election administration rules ahead of future presidential elections.
HOUSE DEM WHO CHALLENGED HAKEEM JEFFRIES EARNS UPWEAR VICTORY IN PRO-TRUMP DISTRICT
Distribution of power holders in state legislatures across the country after Tuesday’s midterm elections. (Fox News)
Democrats could also revive efforts to pass stricter gun laws, increase funding for public education and expand worker protections. Depending on the state, lawmakers could also target voting restrictions, expand access to absentee and early voting, or change how elections are administered.
The results confirming Democratic control of the majority of state legislatures come days after the party took control of both houses of Congress and the majority of governorships.
Axios reports that 75% of Americans now live in a state with a Democratic governor, and 53% live in a state where Democrats control the legislature and governorship.
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The sun shines on the Minnesota State Capitol on February 12, 2024, in St. Paul. (Steve Karnowski/Associated Press)
“In a historic victory, Democrats now hold more than half of state legislative seats nationwide,” Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Chairwoman Heather Williams said in a press release. “These victories reinforce the DLCC’s national strategy to build Democratic power across the country. Whether competing for new majorities, breaking Republican supermajorities, or gaining seats to give Democrats more leverage to fight for their voters, when these races have the resources they need, we can achieve victories in red, blue, and purple states.”
Additionally, Democrats may now have the votes needed to advance the National Popular Vote plan, which would bypass the Electoral College, Fox News Digital reported Sunday.
The economy, government corruption, the war in Iran and increasingly negative views of President Donald Trump’s job performance have created a perfect storm for Democrats, according to a Fox News election poll.
Voters voted with a dark vision of the country in mind. Three-quarters of those surveyed say they are dissatisfied or angry with the way things are going, while only a quarter say they are satisfied or enthusiastic.
Three-quarters of respondents rated the economy negatively, a sharp reversal from this point in Trump’s first term, when positive ratings were 2-to-1 higher than negative ratings, as shown in the 2018 Fox News Voter Analysis survey (66% positive, 34% negative).
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