In the early hours of Wednesday, control of both the House and Senate remained uncertain.

Going into the midterms, some analysts expected a repudiation of the Democrats and a surge of Republican victories. But this “red wave” did not materialize. 

Today, we try to make sense of the surprising results. 

Guest: Astead W. Herndon, a national political reporter for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• As the results continue to come in, follow the latest updates here. 

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.