Democrats deliver Trump rebuke

Voters in the United States (US) delivered a resounding rebuke of President Donald Trump and his policies, handing control of the US House of Representatives and Senate to the Democratic Party.

Preliminary results show that the Democratic Party is projected to win at least 248 seats in the House of Representatives, well above the 218 needed to secure control of the chamber.

In the race for control of the Senate, the Democratic Party was projected to win at least 51 of the seats required to take charge, although several races were still to be called. The party flipped four seats previously held by Republicans.

In races of significance to the Jamaican community, a number of candidates with Jamaican roots emerged victorious.

Governor Wes Moore, whose parents are Jamaican, won a second term as governor of Maryland. Byron Daniels, whose mother is Jamaican, won the governorship of Florida, becoming the first man of colour to hold the position in that state.

Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, whose parents are Jamaican, easily won re-election in her ninth congressional district in Brooklyn.

Jamaica-born Denise Grant won a full term as mayor of Lauderhill, while Richard Beckford won his race to become a commissioner of the city.

Several voters across a number of states, including New York, reported problems with voting machines that were not operational when polling began.

In other races of interest, Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first woman of colour to win the governorship of Georgia, while Stacey Plaskett won the governorship of the US Virgin Islands, becoming the first Black woman to hold the position.

In Texas, the Democratic Party won a statewide race for the first time in many years, capturing a US Senate seat.

editorial@gleanerjm.com