North Carolina flips blue in first major Senate shake-up after Trump protege Michael Whatley suffers embarrassing fumble

Roy Cooper won North Carolina’s US Senate race, defeating Republican Michael Whatley in a state Donald Trump has carried three times. The result gives Democrats an early midterm gain and puts them three seats short of a Senate majority, with several other closely watched contests still to come.

The Associated Press called the race less than an hour after polls closed, and Whatley conceded at about 9 pm. Cooper, a former two-term governor, campaigned on lowering costs and led by nine points in final polling; in the third quarter, his campaign raised about $20 million, compared with Whatley’s $2 million. Voters’ concerns included the economy and living costs, while Cooper criticised tariffs and costs linked to the war.