Columbia student Joe Pierce, a first-year illustration major from Texas, was “blown away” when his state turned blue last night, one of the midterm election’s biggest political surprises.

Texas Democrats also swept statewide offices and flipped the governor’s seat and a U.S. Senate seat. Gina Hinojosa defeated incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, and James Talarico defeated Ken Paxton, marking a dramatic shift in a state that has not elected a Democrat to statewide office in more than 30 years.

“I thought that would never happen while I was alive,” Pierce said from the Student Center on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

Isabelle Hurst, a theatre design and technology major, also from Texas, said was following the Senate and gubernatorial races closely. 

She said was excited that James Talarico and Hinojosa both won. 

“Twice! Governor and Senate. It was really beautiful. I almost cried,” Hurst said. 

The election also produced historic firsts across the country, with candidates breaking barriers in gubernatorial and congressional races and reshaping the political landscape ahead of the 2028 presidential election. 

In Illinois, Democrats swept the major statewide races, with Gov. JB Pritzker winning a third term and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton defeating Republican Don Tracy to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. Stratton‘s victory makes her the second Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Illinois, joining Sen. Tammy Duckworth to give the state the first Senate delegation in U.S. history composed of two women of color.

Democrats also won the 7th Congressional District, where La Shawn Ford succeeded longtime U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, and Chicago voters elected the city’s first fully elected school board.

The victories in Illinois reflected a sweeping national shift, flipping Republican-held seats and delivering a major setback to President Donald Trump and his administration.

In Chicago, with 95% of ballots counted, turnout was about 43%. In 2022, 46% of voters turned out for that midterm election, according to the Chicago Board of Elections. In 2018, it was 61%. Nationally, voter turnout was about 49.42%, according to preliminary estimates from the University of Florida Election Lab. Voter turnout for midterm elections historically has been around 40%.  

Jayla Griggs, a sophomore illustration major and animation minor from Mt. Carmel, in southeastern Illinois, stayed up with her partner to watch several races, mostly focused on their shared hometown, but they also followed races in battleground states like Ohio and Texas. 

“Seeing the house and senate flip is honestly astronomical to me,” she said, adding that she was wary before the results started coming in.

“I was personally really not hopeful for this election, I felt as though the American people would fail me once again, the same way as they had during the 2024 election. So seeing a blue Senate and House is something I really didn’t think possible for a while,” Griggs said.

Jamerra Williams, a junior music major, was watching the results come in from her home state of Indiana, a red state. Williams said she was surprised when she saw more counties turn blue this election, aligning with her views.

“I was very proud, and I was also very shocked because I had no hope at all,” she said.

Williams said it was nice to regain that hope and see a possibility for change.

She said she has a list of issues she would like to be addressed but understood that Congress can be stubborn so it may take some time to address gas prices, inflation, a higher minimum wage and health insurance.

Mya Wade-Wilson, a first-year fashion design major, said, “Insane how many diverse people were elected, too. Like transgender people, Black women, an Indigenous person; I think we’re heading in a good direction.”

Former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman governor elected in U.S. history, flipping Georgia to Democrats for the first time since 1998. Also from Georgia, Bentley Hudgins won a state assembly seat and became the first openly trans and nonbinary state lawmaker. 

Athena Villanova, an illustration major attending class on campus, shared her feelings of hope after seeing many key election results. 

“After this midterm I feel safe in my own country and have hope for my future something I haven’t felt in a very long time”

Additional reporting from Katie Peters, Jenna Kottke, Kat Liu, Marina Bradley and Levi Libson.

Copy edited by Camila Verzino