The stories that explain a historic election in America

A Democratic landslide reshaped American politics. The week’s best reporting revealed how it happened and what comes next.

What a week.

On Tuesday, in what could be one of the most consequential elections in American history, voters turned a blue wave into a blue tsunami.

The result: In what appears to be a direct repudiation of President Donald Trump, Americans overwhelmingly voted to give the Democrats power in both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.

Democrats not only won high-profile races in traditionally blue regions of the country, but they also flipped previously red strongholds — places such as South Carolina, Kansas, Ohio and, perhaps most notably, Texas. Not only did Democrats win in states where they have typically struggled, but they won easily.