Democrats flip North Carolina Senate seat in US midterm results
Former Gov. Roy Cooper defeated Michael Whatley, bringing Democrats' total to 43 seats as the party seeks control of the 100-member Senate.
Democrats won a Republican-held US Senate seat in North Carolina on Tuesday, Turkey's state-run news agency Anadolu Agency reported.
Former Gov. Roy Cooper beat Michael Whatley, a former Republican National Committee chairman who had the backing of President Donald Trump, for the seat Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is leaving.
Incumbent Democrats also won reelection in several states, with Mark Warner in Virginia, Jon Ossoff in Georgia, Cory Booker in New Jersey, Chris Coons in Delaware, Ed Markey in Massachusetts and Jack Reed in Rhode Island all keeping their seats.
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton won an open Senate seat in Illinois, while Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas won the race in New Hampshire.
The results came as Democrats tried to overturn the Republican majority in the 100-member chamber, where Republicans entered the elections with 53 seats and Democrats held 45.
Two independents caucus with the Democrats, and the Associated Press reported that the party's total had risen to 43 seats in the midterm elections.
Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control of the Senate, and several closely contested races remain undecided.
The Senate has 100 members, with each state sending two senators, and about one-third of its seats are up for election in every midterm year.
Control of the chamber matters because the Senate must confirm presidential nominees and pass legislation, which gives the majority party considerable influence over the federal government.