Democrats’ potential resurgence puts investors on watch for policy shifts

By Niket Nishant and Shashwat Chauhan

(Reuters) -Democratic victories this week have caught investors’ attention, signaling a potential comeback after the party’s bruising defeat during last year’s election.

A strong showing for congressional Democrats at the midterm elections ​in 2026 could push and revive policies favoring sectors sidelined by the GOP.

While Trump would still have to sign any legislation, control of ‌one or both chambers of Congress would hand Democrats command over key committees, giving them the power to launch investigations and call Trump officials to Capitol Hill for public hearings.

Although markets are not ‌pricing a full shift yet, investors are watching some key sectors.

ENERGY AND CLEAN ENERGY

A Democratic victory in either chamber of Congress could slow or reverse some of President Trump’s measures against clean energy projects.

Investors withdrew a record $8.6 billion from global sustainable funds in the first quarter, according to research from Morningstar, which attributed the outflows largely to Trump’s shift against climate and social initiatives.

The industry has since regained its footing, helped by surging energy demand from the rapid ⁠growth of artificial intelligence, which requires massive power ‌for data centers.

The U.S. president has championed fossil fuels, pledging to “drill, baby, drill” as part of a plan to boost oil and gas output.

His administration also withdrew the U.S. from the Paris climate ‍accord and scrapped $7.56 billion in funding for clean energy projects it said would not deliver adequate taxpayer returns.

Democrats, who have championed climate action, are expected to try to block much of that agenda if given the chance.

HEALTHCARE

Healthcare has been a major political flashpoint and a key factor behind the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, ​now the longest ever.

If Democrats took the Senate next year, they would likely revive efforts to expand the Affordable Care Act, strengthen Medicaid funding ‌and push back against Trump’s attempts to roll back coverage mandates.

Such a shift would likely benefit health insurers with large Medicaid and Affordable Care Act businesses. Hospital chains could also gain from higher insured patient volumes.

CRYPTOCURRENCIES

The crypto industry and many tokens have boomed under President Trump’s crypto-friendly administration, with bitcoin reaching multiple new highs. Democrats have opposed its light-touch stance, warning of fraud, market manipulation, money laundering and other risks.

After Tuesday’s strong showing, Democrats may negotiate harder on a major crypto bill in the Senate, potentially weighing on some crypto tokens and listed crypto exchanges.

If they win ⁠the Senate next year, they may ramp up scrutiny of any moves by the ​securities regulator that could give crypto companies a free hand to launch new products.

FINANCIALS

The banking ​industry has benefited from looser oversight of deals under Republican agencies, de-regulatory efforts aimed at freeing up bank capital and the weakening of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which oversees consumer lending.

The S&P 500 banks index has jumped over ‍22% so far this year, ⁠outperforming the benchmark S&P 500 index’s 15.6% gain.

A Senate led by Democrats would have more power to interrogate and potentially slow the de-regulatory changes.

BIG TECH

Progressives in Congress would also likely renew efforts to rein in Big Tech, whose market dominance has expanded ⁠dramatically. Rapid advances in artificial intelligence, meanwhile, have deepened their influence.

While the current administration has focused on ensuring the U.S. stays ahead of China in the AI race,‌ Democrats may take a harder line, scrutinizing Big Tech partnerships more closely and tightening antitrust oversight.

(Reporting by Niket ‌Nishant and Shashwat Chauhan in Bengaluru; editing by Michelle Price and Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)