Democrats capture North Carolina Senate seat as Senate balance remains undecided

Democrats secured a victory in North Carolina when former Governor Roy Cooper defeated Republican Michael Whatley, a seat that had been held by the party of President Donald Trump. The win adds one of the four net Senate pickups the party needs for a majority, according to media projections.

In Georgia, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff beat U.S. Representative Mike Collins, expanding the Democratic margin in that race. As of the evening, media outlets had called winners in roughly three dozen House and Senate contests, but none of those results alone determines control of either chamber. Analysts say Democrats must net three House seats and four Senate seats to claim majorities.

Exit polls conducted by SSRS for a consortium of U.S. media organizations indicated that half of voters viewed the 2026 midterm elections as a chance to rebuke the president, and three-quarters expressed dissatisfaction with the country’s direction. About 70 % said they want Congress to provide more checks and balances on the president.

The Justice Department reported deploying about 1,000 election monitors and observers across all 50 states, describing the effort as the largest Election Day monitoring operation in history. Democrats have criticized the deployment as potential voter intimidation, noting that in two-thirds of the jurisdictions listed, voters had supported Kamala Harris over President Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

A separate development in Alaska involved a report that the campaign of Democratic candidate Mary Peltola may have helped recruit an independent candidate sharing the name of her Republican opponent, Dan Sullivan. Peltola denied any involvement, and a federal criminal probe has been opened. A judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department seeking 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 presence of two candidates named Dan Sullivan on the ballot.

Legal observers warn that President Trump could challenge results if Republicans lose, echoing his long-standing claims of election irregularities. The Senate race outcomes in several states that voted heavily for Trump in 2024, such as Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas, remain pivotal for determining the chamber’s final composition.