Democrats gain ground in battle for Congress with North Carolina flip
SPY•Democrats flipped a Republican-held North Carolina Senate seat and showed strength in several Republican-leaning Florida House districts, while control of both chambers remained uncertain with millions of votes uncounted.
1. Democrats win key races
Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper defeated Trump-backed Republican Michael Whatley to flip a Republican-held Senate seat. Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff won reelection, and Democrat Chris Pappas kept New Hampshire’s open Senate seat in Democratic hands.
2. Control remains uncertain
Florida Republican Senator Ashley Moody led Democrat Angie Nixon by about 3 percentage points, despite Trump carrying the state by 13 points in 2024. Democrats also held three Florida House districts that Republicans had redrawn earlier this year; Trump had won each by at least 9 percentage points. Millions of votes remained uncounted, and it was too early to determine control of either chamber.
3. Voters and election monitoring
Exit polls found half of voters viewed the midterms as an opportunity to rebuke President Donald Trump, while 70% wanted Congress to provide more checks and balances on the president. The Justice Department said it had deployed 1,000 election monitors and observers across all 50 states; Democrats criticized the effort as potential voter intimidation.
