Roy Cooper wins North Carolina Senate race, flips GOP seat

Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper won the state’s open U.S. Senate race, defeating Republican Michael Whatley and flipping a seat held by Republicans. The Associated Press called the race at 8:23 p.m. EST on Tuesday, November 3, and Decision Desk HQ also projected Cooper as the winner. Whatley conceded and said he had called Cooper to congratulate him. The victory makes Cooper the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from North Carolina since 2008. It gives Democrats a pickup in the seat held by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who did not seek another term. The result adds to the party’s effort to gain control of the Senate, where Democrats would need a net gain of four seats, according to campaign coverage. Vote totals reported during counting were partial, not certified final results. One snapshot showed Cooper with 64.6% and Whatley with 33.7%, with roughly 62% of votes counted. Another showed Cooper at 66.8% and Whatley at 31.6%, with 50% of ballots counted. The figures reflect different reported counting stages and should not be read as final totals. Cooper, 69, served two terms as governor and four terms as North Carolina attorney general, as well as serving in...