Democrats win North Carolina Senate seat as the fight to restrain Trump’s power grinds on
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Democrats flipped a Republican-held Senate seat in North Carolina while other major races were still unresolved, underscoring how fiercely contested control of Congress remains. The results, along with widespread voter dissatisfaction and fears of election interference, leave the Senate balance hanging in the air.
Democrats secured a crucial victory in North Carolina when former Governor Roy Cooper defeated Republican Michael Whatley, taking a seat that had been held by the party of President Donald Trump. The win supplies one of the four net Senate pickups the party needs for a majority, according to media projections, though the broader battle is far from over.
In Georgia, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff beat U.S. Representative Mike Collins, widening the Democratic advantage in that race. By evening, media outlets had called winners in roughly three dozen House and Senate contests, but none of those results by itself settles control of either chamber. Analysts say Democrats need net gains of three House seats and four Senate seats to capture majorities.
Exit polls conducted by SSRS for a consortium of U.S. media organizations showed that half of voters saw the 2026 midterm elections as a chance to rebuke the president, while three-quarters said they were dissatisfied with the country’s direction. About 70% said they want Congress to act as a stronger check on the president.
The Justice Department said it deployed about 1,000 election monitors and observers across all 50 states, calling the operation the largest Election Day monitoring effort in history. Democrats denounced the deployment as a possible attempt at voter intimidation, pointing out that in two-thirds of the listed jurisdictions, voters had backed Kamala Harris over President Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
A separate development in Alaska involved allegations that the campaign of Democratic candidate Mary Peltola may have helped recruit an independent candidate with the same name as her Republican opponent, Dan Sullivan. Peltola denied any role, and a federal criminal investigation has been opened. A judge also dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department that sought to block certification of the Alaska results.
"They make it pretty obvious: It says 'incumbent' after his name," said Jake Wesley, a 27-year-old Air Force member stationed in Anchorage, referring to the appearance of two candidates named Dan Sullivan on the ballot.
Legal observers warn that President Trump could seek to challenge results if Republicans lose, reflecting his long-running claims of election irregularities. The Senate contests in several states that voted heavily for Trump in 2024, including Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas, remain central to deciding the chamber’s final balance.