Democrats take Congress after flipping Senate seats from Texas to Kansas

Kansas elected its first Democratic senator since 1932, and by the end of the night Democrats had taken control of both chambers of Congress.

Democrats flipped at least seven Republican-held Senate seats, including seats in Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, North Carolina and South Carolina. They also won the House by flipping more than two dozen Republican-held districts, including seats in areas once treated as safely Republican. The final size of the House majority is still unsettled as ballots are counted.

The numbers that matter: Democrats had secured 54 Senate seats, with races in Alaska and Mississippi still undecided. They need 51 seats to run the chamber. In the House, projections differed as votes continued to come in, but Democrats had already cleared the 218 seats needed for a majority.

Texas supplied one of the night's clearest signals. Democrat James Talarico beat Republican Ken Paxton for a Senate seat, the first Democratic Senate victory in Texas since 1988. In Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton defeated Republican Senator Roger Marshall. In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed beat Republican Mike Rogers and will become the first Muslim elected to the Senate. Chris Pappas won in New Hampshire, becoming the first openly gay man elected to the chamber.

Why it matters: When the new Congress begins on Jan. 3, Democrats can use House committees to demand documents and testimony, issue subpoenas and investigate the administration. A Democratic Senate can block or delay many of Trump's nominees, including judges and cabinet officials. Hakeem Jeffries is poised to become the first Black speaker of the House when members formally vote.

Democrats campaigned heavily on household costs, health care and accountability. NBC News exit polling found 75% of voters rated the economy as not so good or poor, while more than 80% said they were worried about prices for necessities. Democratic leaders have pointed to restoring enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, reversing Medicaid cuts and greater oversight as early priorities.

The catch: Congress can pass bills, but Trump can veto them. Democrats do not have the two-thirds majorities in both chambers needed to override a veto, which puts a hard ceiling on what their victory can turn into law. The next big date is Jan. 3, when the new Congress is sworn in and the fight shifts from campaign stages to committee gavels.