Key facts
- The Associated Press projected Roy Cooper won North Carolina's open Senate seat at 8:23 p.m. on November 3, 2026.
- Cooper defeated Trump-backed Republican Michael Whatley in the race for the seat Thom Tillis vacated.
- Democrats needed to flip three more Republican-held Senate seats to take control of the chamber, per the report.
- Bloomberg reported Cooper was the first Democrat to win a North Carolina Senate seat since 2008.
Numbers
- 8:23 p.m. — Time the Associated Press projected Cooper's win
- 2008 — Year of the previous Democratic North Carolina Senate win, per Bloomberg
- 3 — Additional Republican-held Senate seats Democrats needed for control, per the re
Who
- Roy Cooper — Democrat who won North Carolina Senate seat
- Michael Whatley — Trump-backed Republican who lost Senate race
- Thom Tillis — Republican senator who did not seek reelection
- Jon Ossoff — Democratic senator who won Georgia reelection
- Mike Collins — US representative who lost Georgia Senate race
Context
Democrat Roy Cooper won North Carolina's open US Senate seat on November 3, 2026, defeating Trump-backed Republican Michael Whatley, the Associated Press projected at 8:23 p.m. The seat was open after Republican Senator Thom Tillis decided not to seek reelection.
Cooper, a former governor and state attorney general, delivered Democrats their first Republican-held Senate seat of the night, according to the report. Democrats needed to flip three more Republican seats to take control of the Senate.
Bloomberg reported that Cooper was the first Democrat to win a North Carolina Senate seat since 2008 and that a Republican super PAC pulled ads late in the race. In Georgia, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff defeated US Representative Mike Collins, Nikkei Asia reported.
The report also covered other midterm election results and market moves that are not part of this record.
Caveats
- The report also covered other midterm election results and market moves that are not part of this record.