"Today is about restoring the Constitution's checks and balances. "More than anything it's about what a new Democratic majority will mean to hard-working Americans." Nancy Pelosi reacts to the incoming results. Credit:Bloomberg Winning the House will allow Democrats to launch investigations, subpoena documents and to block Republican policies they disagree with. Pelosi, who served as House Speaker under George W. Bush and Barack Obama, is set to return to the powerful position despite being a highly polarising figure among voters.

She said Democrats would work with Republicans in a bipartisan manner to pass legislation. Loading "We have all had enough of division," she said. Trump focussed on the Republicans' strong performance in the Senate, where most of the contests were being held in rural and conservative states he won easily in 2016. "Tremendous success tonight," he tweeted. "Thank you to all!"

Illustration: Matt Golding Credit: Trump tweeted that the Republicans who won close Senate races "owe him their political career". In the final days of the campaign, Trump ran strongly on a tough on immigration platform and highlighted a caravan of migrants travelling towards the US from Central America. Trump called Pelosi just before midnight local time to congratulate the Democrats on winning the House. Turnout was unusually high for a midterm election, a sign that voters of both parties were mobilised to go to the polls by Trump's norm-shattering presidential style.

There was a significant gender divide, with women voting for Democratic candidates in overwhelming numbers and most men supporting Republicans. Democrats picked up multiple House seats in the crucial Midwestern states of Pennsylvania, Iowa and Michigan which voted for Barack Obama in 2012 before flipping to Trump four years later. Democrats have also gained seats in New York, Florida, Virginia, Texas, California and Arizona. Time's up. Trump at his final election rally blitz before the midterm polls opened. Credit:AP Overall, Democrats were projected to win the House popular vote by seven percentage points.

Female candidates are performing strongly and it looks likely that a record number of women will be elected to Congress. Among the successful candidates are the first women aged under 30 and the first Muslim women to be elected to Congress. Sharice Davids, an openly lesbian Native American Democrat, will enter the House after defeating her Republican opponent in suburban seat in Kansas. My heart has been restored. It is the end of one party rule in the US, thank God. Commentator and former Democrat adviser, Van Jones But Democrats will lose Senate seats in Indiana, Missouri and North Dakota – all predominantly rural states where Trump remains popular. The Democrats were also trailing narrowly in Florida, where incumbent Bill Nelson is locked in a tight battle with Republican governor Rick Scott.

Texas Democrat Beto O'Rourke was defeated by Republican Ted Cruz even though he had electrified progressives in his home state and around the country with his campaign. Democratic candidates also fell short in closely watched contests for the governorships in Florida and Georgia. Andrew Gillum and Stacey Abrams were hoping to become the first African American governors ever elected in those states but lost narrowly to Trump-style Republicans. Gillum lost by one percentage point to Republican Ron Desantis while Abrams was trailing opponent Brian Kemp by three points. “Every two years there’s one day in November where elites don’t call the shots, don’t craft the narrative or set the agenda,” Desantis told supporters in Orlando. “On Election Day, it’s the voice of the people that rules.”

Former Republican senator Rick Santorum said: "Republicans are feeling good tonight." Republican strategist David Urban said: "All the big emotional races have gone in favour of Republicans." Loading Early in the night former Obama adviser Van Jones, now a commentator on CNN, said it was "heartbreaking" that Democrats had not performed better. "The hope has been that the antibodies would kick in," he said. "That this infestation of hatred and division would draw a response from the American people in both parties to say 'No. No more.'"