Democrats won House midterms by largest margin since Watergate scandal, report says

Christal Hayes | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption How House Democrats will thwart Trump’s agenda The election results are in and Democrats gained control of the House during the midterms. It will place a check and balance on President Trump's power and could tie up his agenda for the next couple of years.

WASHINGTON - Democrats won the popular vote in the House by the largest margins since the Watergate scandal and resignation of Republican President Richard Nixon, according to an analysis by NBC News.

The analysis found Democrats led Republicans in House races by a whopping 8.6 million votes in this year's midterms. NBC News reports that number is the largest margin that Democrats have defeated Republicans in a midterm House election since 1974.

That midterm race, shortly after Nixon resigned, allowed Democrats to win the popular vote by 8.7 million votes, NBC reported.

Some have made comparisons between the administrations of Trump and Nixon as special counsel Robert Mueller continues to examine the role of Russia in the 2016 election and whether the president attempted to obstruct justice and end the probe.

Nixon also resisted investigations after his administration attempted to distance itself with five men who broke into the Democratic National Committee's headquarters at the Watergate hotel.

The coverup led to Nixon's resignation from the presidency in 1974.

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This year's midterms flipped nearly 40 seats, allowing Democrats to take control of the House and setting the stage for two years of confrontations with President Donald Trump when they take power in January.

Democrats are expected to leverage their new majority to wield Congress' oversight powers. They could demand Trump’s tax returns, subpoena his Cabinet members and investigate suspected ties to Russia. And they can block the president’s legislative priorities, whether it’s funding for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border or curbing entitlement programs.

The election was also a historic one for women, people of color and the LGBTQ community. Female candidates spearheaded Democratic gains. At least 80 women had been elected to the House. Sixty-nine of the House women are Democrats, including 27 of 28 newcomers, according to a USA TODAY analysis.

Jared Polis was the first gay man to win a governor's race. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became the youngest woman elected to Congress. Ayanna Pressley became Massachusetts' first black congresswoman. Minnesota's Ilhan Omar and Michigan's Rashida Tlaib became the first Muslim women elected to Congresss.