Democrat Roy Cooper has won North Carolina’s US Senate election, according to the Associated Press, flipping a seat previously held by Republicans and bringing Democrats closer to retaking the chamber. Cooper, a former governor, will succeed Republican Thom Tillis, who chose not to seek re-election after falling out with President Donald Trump.
North Carolina had not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 2008. The result is the first Republican-held seat Democrats have flipped in this election. Republicans entered the night with a 53-seat majority; Democrats need to gain at least three seats currently held by Republicans to take control.
Democrats also won in Georgia, where the AP called the race for incumbent Jon Ossoff, and in New Hampshire, where Chris Pappas will succeed retiring senator Jeanne Shaheen. Pappas is the first openly gay man elected to the US Senate. Democrats also secured re-election in Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, Illinois, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Republicans held the seat in deeply Republican West Virginia.
In Florida, the AP projected that incumbent Ashley Moody would defeat Democrat Angie Nixon. With 97% of ballots counted, Moody’s lead was about three percentage points. She was appointed to the Senate last year after Marco Rubio became Trump’s secretary of state and will serve the remainder of the term Rubio won in 2022.
The results come in an election marked by disapproval of Trump’s presidency, including dissatisfaction with his handling of the economy and the cost of living. His decision to attack Iran and his hardline enforcement of immigration law have also proved unpopular, according to the report.
Control of the Senate could give Democrats significant influence over the final two years of Trump’s presidency, including the ability to block bills, investigate the administration and reject judicial nominees. Republicans have also sought to defend seats in states where Democrats had hoped to make gains, while Trump campaigned in states including Kansas, South Carolina and Texas in the final weeks before the election.
Sources: The Guardian World.