Heartening news! Trump’s Republican Party suffered a crushing defeat, losing control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives!

Welcome to 'Xiao Kao Vision'—a column covering the Russia-Ukraine conflict, global affairs, humanities, and history! Good evening, dear readers! You’ve likely already heard the news that the Republican Party lost control of both chambers in the midterm elections. It was indeed somewhat unexpected that the Democrats managed to regain control of both the House and the Senate—but regardless, this outcome clearly signals Donald Trump’s waning popularity, which brings us immense satisfaction! Before we begin, however, I must inform you that the article commemorating Comrade A Liang’s second anniversary of martyrdom raised 1,655 RMB; per Huang Chenqi’s request, I have already transferred the funds to him. I sincerely thank all readers for your generous support through article donations. Since the ‘Appreciation Code’ is no longer in use, many readers donate without receiving confirmation feedback. Your abundant encouragement truly energizes my writing: 【1.1】The Republican Party suffered a major setback in the U.S. midterm elections—evidence of Trump’s growing unpopularity: On November 3, the 2026 U.S. midterm elections concluded. Widely viewed by the media as a ‘midterm review’ of the Trump administration’s governance, the election ended with a significant Republican defeat: the Democrats decisively reclaimed control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, resulting in a divided government—with a Republican president occupying the White House while both chambers of Congress fall under Democratic control—reflecting widespread voter dissatisfaction with Trump’s policy agenda. According to NBC News projections, Democrats will win 258 House seats versus 177 for Republicans—a Democratic advantage of 81 seats. In the Senate, projections indicate 54 Democratic seats and 44 Republican seats, with results still pending in Alaska and Mississippi. Typically, only one-third of Senate seats are up for election—and Democrats were not expected to prevail. Yet the vote count yielded a stunning surprise: Democrats flipped at least seven Senate seats, winning traditionally Republican strongholds including Kansas, Texas, and South Carolina! Moreover, Democrats secured multiple gubernatorial races. Notably, Democratic candidate Talalico defeated Republican candidate Paxton to become the first Democrat elected to a U.S. Senate seat from Texas in nearly 38 years; Democratic candidate Hinojosa likewise defeated Republican Governor Abbott, ending decades of uninterrupted Republican control over the Texas governorship. This devastating loss of long-standing Republican strongholds starkly reveals Trump’s and the GOP’s declining appeal. Particularly gratifying was the victory of Democratic State Senator J.D. Ford in Indiana’s 5th District over Republican incumbent Victoria Spatz. With most votes counted, Ford led 52% to 48%. Spatz, born in Ukraine, opposed major U.S. military aid packages for Ukraine—her defeat thus brought great joy to Ukrainians. This election was widely seen as a critical referendum on Trump and his administration’s policies. Voter discontent over persistently rising living costs, perceived governmental underperformance, corruption controversies, and U.S. involvement in the war against Iran significantly influenced the outcome. Trump had actively intervened in numerous Republican campaigns—traveling extensively and endorsing multiple candidates—yet their defeats have cast doubt on his personal political influence. Trump, for his part, attempted to downplay any link between the election results and his own performance, claiming he did not appear on the ballot and asserting that the GOP would have achieved a landslide victory had he run personally—a transparent attempt to deflect blame.

A runoff election over oil-and-gas regulation sheds light on Texas’s culture wars.

In response, Wright himself explicitly stated in the voter guide: 'Sharia law should not be accepted or incorporated into the U.S. legal framework in any form.' Yet such clarification held virtually no traction amid the low-turnout primary runoff. Additionally, French dismissed Wright’s regulatory reforms on oilfield waste management as 'Green New Deal environmental regulations.' IV. Funding Sources Funding sources reveal the power structure underlying this runoff election. Over 60% of French’s campaign funds came from the 'Texas Freedom Fund for the Advancement of Justice PAC,' backed by Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks. This PAC spent $375,000 before the March primary and an additional $548,500 between the primary and the May runoff; Wilks personally donated another $25,000. Paxton—who won the Republican Senate primary—held a fundraising event for French in Fort Worth on April 6 and publicly endorsed him. Trump did not intervene in this race. Wright’s side received industry support from the political action committees (PACs) of Chevron, Apache, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, and Valero—as well as personal contributions from executives including Kelcy Warren (CEO of Energy Transfer, $10,000), Autry Stephens (of Endeavor), and Vicki Hollub (CEO of Occidental). Prominent Republican mega-donors Miriam Adelson and Harlan Crow also contributed. Governor Greg Abbott personally campaigned for Wright in Deer Park, declaring publicly: 'His opponent knows nothing about oil and gas—the agenda he champions would destroy the oil-production miracle we’ve created.' V. Detailed Election Results French’s geographic pattern of victory displayed a rare 'urban-suburban challenger defeating rural establishment' inversion. French won Tarrant County with 51.92% of the vote, led by a substantial margin in Harris County, and edged out narrow victories across multiple counties in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Wright performed stronger in his South Texas hometown region, the Permian Basin (Midland and Ector Counties), and broad rural areas—reversing the usual pattern where establishment candidates dominate suburban areas while challengers prevail in rural districts. The key to explaining this inversion lies in French’s core constituency. As former chair of the Tarrant County Republican Party, French possessed deep organizational roots in America’s largest red county; moreover, his culture-war messaging resonated more strongly among MAGA activists in urban and suburban areas than among rural voters focused on practical oil-and-gas regulatory issues. Tim Davis, current chair of the Tarrant County Republican Party, interpreted French’s victory as evidence that 'Tarrant County is indeed the vanguard county of Republican politics.'

Democrat Wins Texas Oil Regulator Seat for First Time Since 1990

1 day ago

Democrat Jon Rosenthal won a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, becoming the first Democrat to regulate the state's $200 billion oil industry since 1990. His victory may impact future drilling permits, safety standards, and pollution enforcement rules.

bloomberg

2026-11-04

Democrat Wins Texas Oil Regulator Seat for First Time Since 1990

Democrat Wins Texas Oil Regulator Seat for First Time Since 1990

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