# 2018 Midterm Elections First-term [[Donald Trump]] administration midterm. Democrats gained ~41 House seats and took the House majority — the largest single-cycle Democratic House gain since 1974 (Watergate). Republicans gained ~2 Senate seats (Senate map heavily favored them). Voter turnout reached ~50% — **the highest midterm turnout since 1914**, reflecting the intensity of post-2016 Trump-era political mobilization on both sides. ## Result - **House:** Democrats gained ~41 seats; took majority (~235 of 435 Democrats vs. ~199 Republicans in the 116th Congress) - **Senate:** Republicans gained ~2 seats; expanded majority (~53 of 100 Republicans vs. ~45 Democrats and 2 Independents) - **Chambers flipped:** House — flipped to Democratic - **Net change:** Major Democratic House gains; mixed Senate result ## Notable - **Nancy Pelosi** returned as Speaker of the House (January 2019) - Record number of **women elected to Congress** — 102 women in the House (89 Democrats, 13 Republicans), including freshman class members **Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez** (NY-14), **[[Ilhan Omar]]** (MN-5), **[[Rashida Tlaib]]** (MI-13), **Ayanna Pressley** (MA-7) — "the Squad" - **The Squad** (AOC, Omar, Tlaib, Pressley) became operationally important left-progressive figures in subsequent Congresses - 2018 turnout (~50%) was the highest midterm turnout since 1914 — indicator of post-2016 political-mobilization era - The Democratic House launched **Trump first impeachment** investigations in 2019 (over the Ukraine quid pro quo); House impeached Trump December 2019, Senate acquittal February 2020 ## Connections - [[Donald Trump]] — Sitting president; the Democratic House would impeach him. - [[Nancy Pelosi]] — Speaker again 2019-2023.