Democrats Sweep US Midterms; Push To Finalize Indo-US BTA

November

2026

The US midterm election results for almost all 435 seats in the US House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the US Senate were out on 3 Nov. Elections were also held for 39 state and territorial US governors, attorneys general, and numerous state and local offices. The Democratic Party (DP) gained a majority in the Senate, the House, and among state governorships. As of now, the Democrats have 54 Senators, 254 Representatives, and 28 Governors. Some results are yet to be called. A Democrat, Jyot Singh, a Yale-educated community organizer in his twenties, has become the first Sikh American elected to the Georgia General Assembly. Jyot's campaign had a distinctly Sikh imprint: It began and ended with events at the Guru Nanak Mission Society in Norcross, where community members gathered to celebrate his victory. In the final days of campaigning, Jyot said the Sikh tradition of 'fighting against tyranny, oppression, and injustice for centuries to uplift all communities' would guide his work in the legislature. Meanwhile, US Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the US Department of Justice, Harmeet Kaur Dhillon, resigned on 5 Nov. Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed that he accepted Dhillon’s resignation. He credited her with leading the division 'with conviction ' over the past 18 months. Dhillon said she delayed announcing her resignation at the request of White House Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, until after Election Day. She described serving as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights as the 'honor of a lifetime' and thanked President Donald Trump for the opportunity. The winners will be sworn in on 3 Jan 2027. With around two months left to pass legislation before Democrats take a Senate and House majority, President Trump is expected to rush the India–US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). Ajay Srivastava, founder of the trade think tank Global Trade Research Initiative, said the results will push President Trump to exercise more executive power to pressure India into accepting a deal. He said, 'With foreign policy leverage failing against Russia, China, and Iran, Trump needs a quick win. Expect heightened pressure on India for a trade deal to prove American clout’ (earlier coverage).