The Democratic Party has regained control of the lower chamber of the United States Congress, winning the House of Representatives.

Late on Tuesday night local time, the House result was called in favour of the left-wing party.

Democrats needed to gain five seats to flip the chamber. Republicans have held a majority in the House since the 2022 midterms, during the presidency of Democrat Joe Biden.

The outgoing 119th House has 218 Republicans, 214 Democrats, one independent and two vacancies.

All 435 seats in the House were up for grabs in the election. A term in the House lasts only two years, compared with six for the Senate.

The Democrats’ victory in the House means their party leader in the chamber, Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, will likely be selected as the speaker, the chamber’s top officer.

That position would make Jeffries the third in line for the US presidency, should the president and the vice president be removed from office.

He would also be the first Black person to serve in the role. He will replace outgoing Republican Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, who has held the post since 2023.

Democrats had been widely projected to regain control of the House, leveraging backlash to the second administration of President Donald Trump, which saw record-low approval ratings in the weeks leading up to the midterms.

For the last two years, Trump’s Republican Party has held a political “trifecta” in Washington, DC, with control of the presidency and both chambers of Congress. The 120th Congress is slated to be sworn in on January 3, 2027.

Democrats flip Republican-held seats

Democrats swept Republican-held House seats on their way to retaking the chamber.

In Iowa, Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott unseated Republican Zach Nunn in the state’s 3rd Congressional District.

In Virginia, Democrat Elaine Luria won a tight race against Republican incumbent Jen Kiggans, while in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District, Democrat Janelle Stelson unseated seven-term Republican Scott Perry.

Meanwhile, Democrat incumbents Ilhan Omar and Ro Khanna sailed to victory, holding on to their seats in Minnesota and California.

Americans ‘sent a clear message’

Reacting to the Democratic wave, former President Barack Obama said the results showed voters wanted leaders who would bring people together and offer solutions to the problems they face.

“Tonight, the American people sent a clear message,” Obama wrote on X. He praised candidates who ran in areas long considered difficult for Democrats to win and urged supporters to keep organising during Trump’s remaining two years in office.

Senator Bernie Sanders said Democratic control of both chambers would allow the party to “hold Trump accountable”.

He urged Democrats to tackle income and wealth inequality. “We must aggressively fight for working families. No more excuses,” Sanders said.

Even Trump issued rare praise for the Democratic campaign in an interview with Fox News.

“I think the Democrats did a good job. I really do. I think they did a good job. They fought hard,” the president said.