Democrats Flip Senate Seats in North Carolina, Georgia and New Hampshire
On November 3, Democrat Roy Cooper defeated Republican Michael Whatley in North Carolina, giving Democrats a key Senate pickup. In Georgia, Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff won reelection against Rep. Mike Collins, while former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms won the governor’s race, becoming the first Black woman elected governor in a state. New Hampshire Rep. Chris Pappas defeated former Sen. John Sununu in the race to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.
The results came as Democrats sought to regain power in Congress and Republicans fought to preserve their majorities. Democrats need a net gain of four Senate seats and three House seats to take control. With polls still open in some states, the balance remained unsettled.
Democrats’ hopes had risen as voters expressed frustration over prices, the economy and the country’s direction. An AP Voter Poll found about three-quarters of voters described themselves as angry or dissatisfied with the country’s trajectory; a similar share said the economy was not so good or poor. About eight in 10 said inflation had caused their households moderate or severe financial hardship.
President Donald Trump campaigned for Republicans and urged voters to treat him as if he were on the ballot. On November 3, he said inflation was solved, despite consumer prices being 3.6% higher in September than a year earlier. More than 59 million people had voted before Election Day, surpassing early turnout in 2022.
Voters Reject Trump’s Record as Democrats Flip Key Senate Seats
Democrats’ victories in North Carolina, Georgia and New Hampshire offer a clear rebuke to a Republican Washington that voters are increasingly unhappy with. On November 3, Roy Cooper defeated Michael Whatley for a North Carolina Senate seat, Jon Ossoff won reelection in Georgia, and Chris Pappas prevailed in New Hampshire.
The results put Democrats closer to their goal of taking control of Congress, though they still need four net Senate seats and three House seats. Polls remained open in some states, and the balance of power was not yet settled.
The vote came amid widespread frustration over the economy and the country’s direction. About three-quarters of voters said the economy was not so good or poor, and roughly eight in 10 said inflation had caused their households moderate or severe financial hardship. About six in 10 said Trump puts his personal interests ahead of the country’s.
Trump campaigned for Republicans and told voters to act as though he were on the ballot. His November 3 claim that inflation was solved stood against a September price increase of 3.6% from a year earlier. The results suggest that voters’ cost-of-living concerns and dissatisfaction with Trump’s priorities are exacting a political cost.
Democrats Gain Ground as Midterm Results Put Congress in Play
Democrats seized on voter frustration to flip North Carolina’s Senate seat and notch wins in Georgia and New Hampshire on November 3. Roy Cooper beat Republican Michael Whatley, Jon Ossoff secured another term, and Chris Pappas won the race to replace retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.
The outcomes put the balance of Congress in play, but they do not settle it. Democrats need four net Senate seats and three House seats to take control, and voting was still underway in some states. Republicans had spent heavily in the campaign’s final stretch and were trying to hold onto the Senate while facing the prospect of losing the House.
Voters’ discontent was broad: about three-quarters said they were angry or dissatisfied with the country’s direction, and about eight in 10 reported moderate or severe inflation-related hardship. But the poll also found the Democratic Party was not much more popular than the GOP, with fewer than half viewing Democrats favorably.
Trump urged voters to treat the election as a verdict on him, while many Republican candidates kept their distance. His declaration that inflation was solved came as September consumer prices were up 3.6% year over year. The results show Democrats gaining ground, but the congressional fight remained unsettled.
Reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer, WSVN 7News.
