Seen and heard: Democratic voters rejoice after US midterms

WASHINGTON: Democratic voters across the United States celebrated on Wednesday after midterm results exceeded their most optimistic expectations.

After two years of Republican control of the White House and Congress, many described feeling elated, even as they wondered whether those they had just elected could deliver.

Michigan

"I think it was outstanding, it was about time," 55-year-old firearms instructor Dexter Mitchell told AFP in downtown Detroit, citing the price of petrol, living costs and healthcare.

Michigan, which voted for Donald Trump in 2024, elected Democrat Abdul El-Sayed as the nation's first Muslim senator, and Jocelyn Benson as governor. El-Sayed's race was rancorous after Republicans repeatedly and openly tried to scare voters by portraying him as a terrorist sympathiser.

"I know that a lot of people asked him to denounce the (Muslim) Brotherhood," said Mitchell, who is Black. "How come we don't ask the Republican Party or any other parties to denounce hate groups, denounce the Klan, to denounce white nationalism?"

Maine

In Maine, Democrat Troy Jackson unseated veteran Republican Susan Collins, a senator since 1997 whose appeal to independents and Democrats had faded as a gap emerged between her moderate rhetoric and voting record.

Reproductive rights were a priority for many, with Collins's votes to confirm conservative judges during Trump's first term playing a key role in the 2022 overturning of Roe v Wade, which had upheld the national right to an abortion.

"She's been around for 30 years, and she's run against some pretty weak opponents in the past, and this was the strongest one she's come up against in a post-Roe v. Wade era," said Sean Banks, a 33-year-old bank manager in Portland.

"I barely slept last night, woke up today and just felt such a sense of reinvigorated hope and happiness and lightness," said Emma Dutremble, 26, who works in sales. "I'm actually feeling proud to be an American today."

Jackson entered the race late after oyster farmer Graham Platner's candidacy ended amid sexual assault allegations. Dutremble admitted that "my vote was more a vote against Susan, than it was for Troy Jackson".

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Texas

Texas delivered some of the night's biggest shocks, with Senator-elect James Talarico and Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa set to become the first Democrats to hold their respective offices since the 1990s.

Hinojosa, who unseated three-term Republican Greg Abbott, will be Texas's first Latina governor.

The atmosphere in Talarico's hometown of Round Rock was buzzing.

"It's one of the most exciting and encouraging things I've ever seen in my life," said Jack Frick, sporting shades, a bushy white moustache and a black cowboy hat.

He recalled the "hundreds of millions of dollars" poured into the race by Elon Musk and others to support the Republican candidate, scandal-plagued Attorney General Ken Paxton.

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Washington

The US capital, Washington, lacks statehood and elects a non-voting delegate to Congress, making the vote largely symbolic.

But the city has chafed under the administration's actions, which have included National Guard patrols, an attempt to rename the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Trump's honour, and pressure on the mayor to rename Black Lives Matter Plaza.

"I feel amazing, this is just such an incredible day, I am so happy, I'm walking on cloud nine right now, chatting with people on the metro," said Liliana Covington, a 33-year-old executive assistant.

But because Trump will be able to veto Democratic legislation, law student Ben Neyer struck a note of caution.

"I am hesitant to see how impactful they'll really be. We'll have people who can make things change but until results start coming in and things start changing I remain a little skeptical."