Skip to content

PoliticsDeveloping

Democrats make gains in state legislatures in 2026 midterm elections

By

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 3 outlets across the spectrum.

5 articles in total, 1 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Man speaking at podium with DCCC logo, flanked by two women, American flags behind.
Image via Washington ExaminerHow images are chosenReport this image

Democrats made gains in state legislatures in Tuesday’s midterm elections, and several outlets report the party won control of new chambers and states, though counts were not final. The Guardian reports Democrats gained hundreds of seats, while MS NOW reports at least 12 new chamber majorities and at least 300 seats previously held by Republicans. The Washington Examiner reports Democrats gained full control in at least five states, including Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Newsweek reports that not all results were final as of Wednesday night and quotes an expert saying state legislatures do much of the policymaking in the country.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. Editors read every story. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Democrats gained seats in state legislative chambers in Tuesday’s midterm elections.

    Reported byFar Left2Left1Center1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Boston Globe, MS NOW
    Left
    The Guardian
    Center
    Newsweek
    Right
    Washington Examiner

  2. Ballots were still being counted, and not all results were final as of Wednesday night.

    Reported byLeft1Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Guardian
    Center
    Newsweek

  3. MS NOW reports Democrats won at least 12 new chamber majorities and at least 300 seats previously held by Republicans.

    One outletMS NOW· Far Left

  4. The Washington Examiner reports Democrats gained full control in at least five states, including Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

    One outletWashington Examiner· Right

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side reports that Democrats gained state legislative seats and control in Tuesday’s midterms, though counts were not final. The left stresses the historic scale and hundreds of seats, the right stresses landslide control and future redistricting, and the center frames the gains around their effect on national politics.

  • the left

    2 outlets · 1 opinion

    Left headlines present the results as a sweeping Democratic wave, with the Boston Globe and MS NOW, both Far Left, stressing historic scale and the underappreciated importance of the state races.

    Not just Congress: Democrats’ blue wave washes over state legislatures across US
    The GuardianLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    Newsweek’s headline uses the blue tsunami metaphor the left also uses, and frames the gains around how they could affect national politics.

    How Sensational language“Blue Tsunami”The term tsunami goes further than the wave or blue wave used by other outlets to describe the same state legislative gains.More neutral: Democratic gainsDisagree with this highlight? in State Legislatures Could Impact National Politics
    NewsweekCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    1 outlet

    The Washington Examiner headline calls the Democratic victories a landslide and looks ahead to how Democrats could use them to redistrict before 2028.

    Where Democrats could use their landslide victories to redistrict
    Washington ExaminerRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left2

    amazing gubernatorial triumphshistoric progress

  • Center1

    Blue Tsunami

  • Right0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    amazing gubernatorial triumphsMore neutral: gubernatorial wins

    Amazing is an evaluative adjective in the outlet's own voice that adds enthusiasm beyond the reported gubernatorial wins.

    …of the ballot on Tuesday, flipping both chambers of Congress and winning amazing gubernatorial triumphs across the country.

    Used byMS NOW (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    historic progressMore neutral: significant progress

    Historic is a judgement about the scale of the gains that the excerpt asserts in its own voice rather than from a record.

    The party made historic progress in state legislative elections in virtually every single chamber that was on the…

    Used byMS NOW (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    Blue TsunamiMore neutral: Democratic gains

    The term tsunami goes further than the wave or blue wave used by other outlets to describe the same state legislative gains.

    How Blue Tsunami in State Legislatures Could Impact National Politics

    Used byNewsweek (Center)

Words quoted from someone else (1)Hide the quoted words

Loaded words that outlets reported someone else saying. They show what was said, not how the outlet chose to say it.

  • Loaded verb

    Quoted

    shattered Republicans’ gripMore neutral: won seats from Republicans

    Shattered is a dramatic verb that goes beyond the factual report that Democrats won seats from Republicans.

    “Our victories have shattered Republicans’ grip on our statehouses,” said Heather Williams, president of the Democratic…

    Quoted byThe Boston Globe (Far Left)

    These are Heather Williams’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

2 outlets · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • historic scale of the gains
  • hundreds of seats won
  • under-the-radar state races
  • nationwide policy implications
See the 3 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • The GuardianLeft

    Not just Congress: Democrats’ blue wave washes over state legislatures across US

    Democrats gain hundreds of seats in historic victories – and party set to embark on aggressive legislative spree The blue wave that swept Republicans out of power across the United States didn’t just strike Congress. …

    Read at The Guardian (opens in a new tab)
  • The Boston GlobeFar Left

    The Democratic wave swept state legislatures across the country

    “Our victories have Loaded verb“shattered Republicans’ grip”Shattered is a dramatic verb that goes beyond the factual report that Democrats won seats from Republicans.More neutral: won seats from RepublicansThese are Heather Williams’s words. The outlet is reporting them.Disagree with this highlight? on our statehouses,” said Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. …

    Read at The Boston Globe (opens in a new tab)
  • MS NOWFar LeftOpinion

    The most consequential Democratic wins this midterms may have been the least-noticed ones

    In state legislative elections, Democrats secured at least 12 new majorities and at least 300 seats previously held by Republicans.

    Read at MS NOW (opens in a new tab)

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • national political impact
  • state legislatures as policymakers
  • not all results final
See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • NewsweekCenter

    How Sensational language“Blue Tsunami”The term tsunami goes further than the wave or blue wave used by other outlets to describe the same state legislative gains.More neutral: Democratic gainsDisagree with this highlight? in State Legislatures Could Impact National Politics

    "The Democratic gains in state houses are important because state legislatures do much of the policymaking in this country," an expert told Newsweek.

    Read at Newsweek (opens in a new tab)

From the right

1 outlet

Leads with

  • landslide victories
  • new power trifectas
  • redistricting before 2028
See the headline from the rightHide the headlines
  • Washington ExaminerRight

    Where Democrats could use their landslide victories to redistrict

    Democrats created new power trifectas across the country thanks to the party’s blue wave, sweeping control of state governments and enabling them to redraw more congressional maps in their favor before the 2028 elections, should they choose to do so. …

    Read at Washington Examiner (opens in a new tab)

The stories you read build My Mix, a private picture of which sides cover the stories you choose, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    First to report

    The Boston Globe, Nov 4, 6:24 PM EST

  • Center

    2 hr 41 min later

    Its first report, Nov 4, 9:04 PM EST

  • Right

    10 hr 36 min later

    Its first report, Nov 5, 5:00 AM EST

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. The Boston GlobeFar LeftNov 4, 6:24 PM EST
  2. NewsweekCenterNov 4, 9:04 PM EST
  3. Washington ExaminerRightNov 5, 5:00 AM EST
  4. The GuardianLeftNov 5, 5:00 AM EST

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

Read next

Help someone else find the truth beneath the surface

Most people see one side of a story. Share this one, so they can see how every side is telling it and decide for themselves.

Email it
Embed

Show this story’s coverage card on your own site, blog or class page. It has the headline, who is covering it and a link back here, and it tracks nobody. See the card

Seen a mistake? Tell us what is wrong with this page