Voters cast their ballots for the next Governor of Virginia and other state wide races in the Nottingham School polling location on November 4, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. Voters in Virginia and New Jersey are deciding the winner of their gubernatorial race today as well as other state wide elections in states like Pennsylvania, Georgia, and the mayoral race in New York City. The results from today are often seen as a bellwether for the upcoming midterm elections next year. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)

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Mandy Taheri

By Mandy Taheri

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Democrat Alex Holladay on Tuesday won a special election for a state legislative seat in Arkansas, adding to the number of GOP-held seats her party has flipped in special elections since President Donald Trump's second term began in January 2025.

Why It Matters

Senate, House and local candidates are ramping up their campaigns for the 2026 midterm elections. Traditionally, the party that does not hold the White House tends to perform better in midterms. Democrats face a difficult map to take back control of the Senate, needing to hold all of their seats and flip four Republican seats.

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Democrats swept in two off-cycle gubernatorial contests last year, winning the governorships in Virginia and New Jersey, and New York City voters elected democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani as mayor. However, Democrats fell short in several House special elections, even as they narrowed GOP margins.

Republicans hold slim majorities in both chambers of Congress and are seeking to maintain that control in the midterms.

Voters cast their ballots for the next governor of Virginia and other statewide races in the Nottingham School polling location on November 4, 2025, in Arlington. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)

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What To Know

Holladay's victory was the ninth time Democrats have flipped a GOP seat in a special election since Trump returned to the Oval Office.

Democrats across six states have won several special elections that flipped Republican seats in Iowa, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Texas.

Last year, in off-cycle elections, Democrats also fared well, notably securing top governorships. Democrats are rallying behind the trend with hopes of securing more seats in the House and Senate. The midterm elections are widely expected to serve as a bellwether for public sentiment toward the Trump administration after nearly two years in office.

What People Are Saying

Former President Barack Obama, on X on Thursday: "Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. But right now, they’re under attack. Several Republican-controlled states have redrawn their congressional maps to give themselves an unfair advantage in the midterm elections. Now Virginia has a chance to help level the playing field. If you live in the Commonwealth, early voting begins March 6, and Election Day is on April 21. Vote YES."

Former Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican, on X on Wednesday: "Now that Trump and his admin betrayed their campaign promises of No More Foreign Wars/No More Regime Change and Republicans in the majority in the House and Senate are flat out refusing to pass key legislation, voter outrage was shown in yesterday’s Texas primary. More Democrats showed up to vote than Republicans in yesterday’s Texas primary. If that happens in November’s general election, Texas will be flipping it’s Senate seat blue. By the way, a Democrat has not won statewide in TX since 1994. Whatever Trump’s new twisted perversion of MAGA is, is going to LOSE in the midterms."

Democrat Alex Holladay, in a statement on Facebook on Tuesday night: “I ran in 2024 and lost by just a couple hundred votes. That loss hurt, but it also taught us so much. Mainly, it taught us that North Little Rock and Sherwood are primed for change. Thousands of people told us that year that they were sick and tired of single-party GOP rule in Arkansas – and the corruption and lack of transparency that has come with it. They’re tired of politicians who chip away at Arkansans’ rights. They’re tired of politicians who promise to address the cost of living and then don’t. They’re tired of politicians who campaign on limited government, win, and then abuse their power. They’re tired of leaders who undermine our schools, our small businesses, and our health providers.“

What Happens Next

Party primaries are set to take place in the coming months ahead of the November 3 general election.

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