HAVANA TIMES – We bring you some of the top international news stories compiled by Democracy Now on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.
Voters Deliver Stunning Rebuke of Trump with Democrats Regaining Control of Congress
Nov 04, 2026
In a stunning repudiation of President Trump and his MAGA movement, Democrats regained control of the House and the Senate in Tuesday’s midterm elections. Democrats have picked up at least seven Senate seats, winning races in Texas, Maine, Ohio, South Carolina, North Carolina, Iowa and Kansas, as well as winning in Michigan. The Senate races in Mississippi and Alaska remain too close to call.
In the House, Democrats have won at least 231 seats, with more races still to be decided. Only twice in the last half-century has control of both chambers changed hands in the same election. Democrats also clinched a majority of governorships.
Historic Night in Texas as Democrats Win Senate Seat and Governorship
Nov 04, 2026
In Texas, Democrats have shattered more than three decades of Republican dominance, winning races for U.S. Senate, governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and even railroad commissioner. And Democrats are poised to possibly take control of the Texas House of Representatives for the first time since 2003. James Talarico will be the first Democrat to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate since Lloyd Bentsen left in 1993. Talarico spoke at a victory rally Tuesday night after defeating Trump-backed MAGA Republican Ken Paxton.
Rep.-elect James Talarico: “We went up against more than $300 million, more than any Senate campaign in American history. We went up against all the negative ads, smear campaigns, foreign bots and AI deepfakes that money can buy. Those attacks were the final howls of a dying establishment.”
Meanwhile, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott has lost his bid for a fourth term. Democratic state Representative Gina Hinojosa defeated Abbott by nearly 700,000 votes. She becomes Texas’s first-ever Latina governor.
Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa: “Tonight, Texas, we answered. And we did not whisper. We answered loud enough for every billionaire, every lobbyist and every corrupt politician in Austin to hear. Texas belongs to us.”
Progressive Michigan Democrat Dr. Abdul El-Sayed Elected First Muslim Senator
Nov 04, 2026
In Michigan, progressive Democrat Dr. Abdul El-Sayed has defeated Republican former Congressman Mike Rogers in the race for an open Senate seat. El-Sayed campaigned on a platform of Medicare for All, ending military aid to Israel, and getting money out of politics. He becomes the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. Throughout the campaign, El-Sayed faced racist, Islamophobic and vitriolic attacks by top Republicans, led by President Trump, who mocked El-Sayed’s name and Muslim faith. Throughout his campaign, El-Sayed called for an end to U.S. military support for Israel, saying Michiganders’ tax dollars would be better spent at home.
Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed: “They try to call you hateful if you believe that Palestinian kids should get to grow up in the land of their forefathers without being murdered by our tax dollars. If you believe in equal rights to peace, dignity and self-determination, that’s not hate, it’s love. Michiganders, we want our taxes spent here, for schools here and healthcare here and infrastructure here. We don’t want our money sent to do apartheid or genocide or war.”
Democrat Annie Andrews Wins South Carolina Senate Seat in a Stunning Upset
Nov 04, 2026
In South Carolina, Democrat Annie Andrews has defeated Republican Senator Darline Graham by about 50,000 votes, out of 2 million cast. It’s a stunning upset in a state that Trump won by 18 points two years ago. Graham was appointed to fill the remainder of the term of her brother, the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who died in July. Senator-elect Annie Andrews is a pediatrician from Charleston who opposes cuts to Medicaid and supports a public health insurance option.
Sen.-elect Annie Andrews: “You have shown the nation what is possible. You have shown the nation that in this era of partisan divides, of vitriol and name calling, in a politics dominated by billionaires and special interest groups and insiders in Washington D.C., that we will not bow down.”
Mississippi’s Senate Race Remains Too Close to Call
Nov 04, 2026
Mississippi’s Senate race remains too close to call. With just a few thousand outstanding provisional ballots yet to be counted, Democrat Scott Colom leads Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by just 43 votes out of nearly a million cast. Colom made the issue of affordability central to his campaign; he blasted
Senator Hyde-Smith for saying Mississippians should “pick another protein” if they’re upset over high beef prices. In North Carolina, former Governor Roy Cooper has flipped another Senate seat for Democrats. Cooper defeated Trump-backed MAGA Republican Michael Whatley in the race for the Senate seat left vacant when Republican Thom Tillis decided not to run for reelection, after Tillis publicly clashed with President Trump.
Democrat Troy Jackson Unseats Five-Term GOP Senator Susan Collins
Nov 04, 2026
In Maine, Democrat Troy Jackson, a fifth-generation logger and former state Senate president, has unseated five-term Republican Senator Susan Collins. Jackson became the nominee only in July, after Graham Platner quit the race amid sexual assault allegations.
New Hampshire Democrat Chris Pappas Becomes First Openly Gay Senator
Nov 04, 2026
In New Hampshire, Democrat Chris Pappas has defeated Republican former Senator John Sununu, becoming the first openly gay man elected to the Senate.
Sen.-elect Chris Pappas: “Tonight’s results are a wake-up call for corporate special interests and billionaires who have been rigging the economy, for the cowards in Congress who have enabled healthcare cuts, tariffs and war, and for the incompetent president, who can’t even be bothered to care how people are being hurt.”
Adam Hamilton Becomes First Kansas Democrat Elected to the Senate Since 1932
Nov 04, 2026
In Kansas, megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton has defeated Trump-supported Republican Senator Roger Marshall, who was seeking a second term in office. Hamilton is the founding pastor of a United Methodist congregation with 24,000 members. He’s the first Kansas Democrat elected to the Senate since 1932. In Iowa, Democrat Josh Turek defeated Republican Congressmember Ashley Hinson to claim an open Senate seat which had been held by a Republican for the past 12 years. Meanwhile, Democrat Rob Sand is projected to win Iowa’s gubernatorial race. Republicans have held Iowa’s governor’s mansion for more than two decades. In Ohio, Democrat Sherrod Brown has defeated incumbent Republican Senator Jon Husted. Brown formerly served three terms as Ohio’s senator before he lost a reelection bid in 2024. He’ll now complete the remaining two years of the Senate term of Vice President JD Vance’s former Senate seat.
Democrat Amy Acton Defeats Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio Governor’s Race
Nov 04, 2026
Ohio Democrat Dr. Amy Acton has defeated tech billionaire and MAGA loyalist Vivek Ramaswamy in the governor’s race. Acton is a public health expert and physician who led the Ohio Department of Health during the COVID pandemic. She spoke after Ramaswamy conceded defeat.
Gov.-elect Amy Acton: “Because of your hard work, Ohio has chosen unity and decency over division and hate.”
The Ohio governor’s race made national headlines when Ramaswamy released a TV ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother, who abandoned her children and sided with Acton’s stepfather after he was indicted for sexually abusing Acton. Acton hadn’t seen her mother since she was 12 years old, more than 40 years ago. The ad drew widespread condemnation, even among many Republicans, but President Trump and Vice President Vance supported Ramaswamy’s decision to broadcast it.
Democrat Deb Haaland Becomes First Native American Female Governor in U.S. History
Nov 04, 2026
In New Mexico, Democrat Deb Haaland has won the governor’s race. Haaland is a member of the Laguna Pueblo and will become the first Native American woman governor in U.S. history. Haaland served as interior secretary under President Biden. In her victory speech, she warned that 89,000 New Mexicans will lose Medicaid coverage under the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed by President Trump.
Gov.-elect Deb Haaland: “He’s cutting SNAP benefits and making families jump through endless hoops just to get basic healthcare. His actions threaten the very resources that thousands of New Mexicans rely on to survive. And he could care less. So, our work to combat Trump’s cuts starts on day one.”
Midterm Elections Result in Several Historic Firsts
Nov 04, 2026
In California, Mexican American Democrat Xavier Becerra was elected to succeed Gavin Newsom as governor. Along with Gina Hinojosa in Texas, the country’s two most populous states will be led by Latino governors starting next year, both areas that were once part of Mexico.
In Georgia, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has defeated billionaire Republican healthcare executive Rick Jackson. Bottoms becomes the first Black woman ever elected governor in the United States.
In more historic firsts, Minnesota Democrat Peggy Flanagan has become the first Indigenous woman ever elected to the Senate. She’s a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe.
In Iowa, two-time paralympic Olympic gold medalist Josh Turek flipped a Senate seat for Democrats.
In Wisconsin, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley is set to become the state’s first Black governor.
In Nevada, Attorney General Aaron Ford becomes the state’s first Black governor and the first Black governor of any state west of the Mississippi.
And in the House, retired Army combat surgeon Adam Hamawy, who volunteered in Gaza as a surgeon in 2024, is projected to become New Jersey’s first Muslim member of Congress.
The Democratic Socialists of America Score Big Wins in Congress
Nov 04, 2026
It was a big night for candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America. In Florida, DSA candidate Angie Nixon nearly defeated incumbent Republican Senator Ashley Moody, even though Nixon was vastly outspent and only received support from national Democratic leaders in the waning days of the race. Here in New York City, two DSA-backed candidates, Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez, won congressional seats along with former City Comptroller Brad Lander. All three were endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani in their competitive primary races. Elsewhere, DSA-supported Democrat Donavan McKinney won in Michigan, as did Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania. In Colorado, Democrat Melat Kiros overwhelmingly defeated Republican Christy Peterson in the 1st Congressional District, which includes Denver. Kiros is a 29-year-old democratic socialist who becomes the first Black woman to be elected to Congress in Colorado history.
Voters Approve Ballot Measures Expanding Reproductive Rights
Nov 04, 2026
In a victory for reproductive rights, voters in Missouri on Tuesday rejected a ballot amendment that would have reinstated the state’s abortion ban. Two years ago, Missouri became the first state to undo an existing abortion ban after voters historically approved the measure at the polls following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022. The proposed amendment would have barred nearly all abortions in Missouri, as well as added a constitutional ban on gender-affirming care for transgender children and youth. Meanwhile, voters in Virginia and Nevada passed measures to enshrine abortion rights in the states’ constitution. An effort to restore abortion access in Idaho failed.
In more related news, Arizona approved a ballot measure to expand a ban on transgender athletes from participating in school sports. Similar ballot measures in Colorado and Washington state are leading in early results, but votes are still being counted. In Colorado, a measure to ban gender-affirming surgeries for trans youth is also ahead.
In California, Proposition 40, which would impose a one-time 5% tax on billionaires in the state, is trailing in early returns. This all comes as Arizona rejected a measure that would have required government-issued identification and proof of U.S. citizenship in order to vote in local elections, including when casting a ballot by mail. A similar voter ID measure also failed in California just days after a federal appeals panel refused the Trump administration’s request to have California set aside about 20,000 mail ballots supposedly sent to noncitizens. However, several other states, including Alaska, North Carolina and Nevada, will now require a government ID or proof of citizenship to vote.
In more related news, voters in Virginia approved a measure to immediately restore voting rights for people convicted of a felony upon their release from prison.
Trump Announces U.S. to Stop Providing Israel $4 Billion in Annual Military Aid
Nov 04, 2026
Early on Election Day Tuesday, President Trump said that the U.S. will stop providing Israel with roughly $4 billion in annual military aid starting in 2027, though the U.S. will continue to sell Israel weapons. He made the announcement in a phone call to Fox News.
President Donald Trump: “Why? Because they don’t need it, Brian. I mean, I asked them. Because they don’t need it, and because why should we suffer the slings from lunatics like an El-Sayed when they don’t need it? It’s a bad — it’s a bad talking point, because, well, you say, ‘Why don’t we give everybody $4 billion?’”
Earlier this year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled that Israel no longer needed the controversial annual aid package. However, pro-Israel lawmakers in Congress have introduced a new section into the annual National Defense Authorization Act that would further integrate the U.S. and Israeli militaries, which critics say is meant to insulate it from popular political backlash.
DOJ Tells Alaska Democrats They May Be Targets of Federal Probe over Alleged “Spoiler” Candidate
Nov 04, 2026
The Justice Department has sent letters to about 20 Democrats, including prominent election lawyer Marc Elias, warning that they may be targets of a federal investigation. The probe centers on how Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., an Alaskan who shares a name with Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, ended up on the ballot in Alaska’s Senate race against Democrat Mary Peltola. Prosecutors are reportedly weighing donor fraud and conspiracy charges. In a statement, Marc Elias said, “This administration has repeatedly weaponized the DOJ against the President’s political enemies despite zero evidence of wrongdoing, and we are the latest targets.” The Justice Department had tried to sue to block certification of the results if Senator Sullivan lost; a federal judge rejected the lawsuit.
Trump Administration Presses for Long-Term U.S. Military Occupation of Venezuela
Nov 04, 2026
The New York Times reports the Trump administration is pushing an agreement with the interim Venezuelan government that would potentially allow for a long-term U.S. military occupation in Venezuela. This is the latest in a series of concessions by the un-elected government of Delcy Rodríguez, which was put in power after a U.S. attack on Venezuela and the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores in January. It comes as The New York Times also reports that the U.S. assisted Venezuela’s military in launching a deadly attack last Friday on Colombia’s rebel group, the National Liberation Army. According to four U.S. officials speaking to the Times, the U.S. provided Venezuela with drones and intelligence.
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