Voters handed Democrats control of both chambers of Congress on Tuesday, a sweeping result that will reshape Washington for the final two years of the current term. The party had clinched the Senate by early Wednesday and was on pace for its biggest House majority in close to twenty years.

Democrats held 54 Senate seats by the morning count against 44 for Republicans, a total that includes two independents who vote with the party. Seven seats changed hands: Kansas, Iowa, Texas, Ohio, Maine, North Carolina and South Carolina. Several of those states were barely on anyone's list of real targets a year ago.

Two contests were still too close to call. In Alaska, Sen. Dan Sullivan held a narrow lead over former Rep. Mary Peltola with many ballots left to count. In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom sat just dozens of votes ahead of Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith with nearly all of the vote tallied, which would make it an eighth pickup if the margin holds.

Big names in places Democrats rarely win

James Talarico, a former teacher and state lawmaker, beat Attorney General Ken Paxton to become the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Texas since 1988. He overcame a record flood of outside money that was aimed at keeping the seat red. Former Gov. Roy Cooper won the open seat in North Carolina, while pediatrician Annie Andrews captured South Carolina and Sherrod Brown returned to the Senate from Ohio.

In the House, Democrats flipped well over two dozen districts and were projected to finish with at least 250 seats. Speaker Mike Johnson conceded from Shreveport, telling supporters that a century of midterm history had been too steep to overcome. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is now in line to lead the chamber when the new Congress meets in January.

What drove the vote

Surveys of voters leaving the polls found roughly three in four angry or unhappy with the direction of the country. The cost of living topped their worries, followed by the war with Iran and concern about corruption in government. Many said they wanted a check on the White House after two years of one-party rule.

The wave reached governor's offices too. Democrats took over in Texas, Georgia, Nevada, Ohio and Iowa. Several of the winners made history as the first Black, Latina or Native American leaders of their states.

With subpoena power in both chambers, Democrats are expected to open investigations early next year. Their bigger promises on housing, health care and prices will still need a signature from a president who keeps his veto pen, so the coming months could bring as much bargaining as confrontation.