Democrat Roy Cooper has defeated President Trump's handpicked candidate, Michael Whatley, flipping one of North Carolina's two GOP-held U.S. Senate seats.
Why it matters: Cooper, the popular two-term governor, delivered Democrats one of their best shots at flipping a Republican-held Senate seat. Even in a state that voted all three times for Trump, Cooper has never lost an election.
The big picture: While the race was originally expected to be tight and expensive, Cooper consistently widened his polling lead throughout campaign season.
- His name recognition boosted his chances against Whatley, a lawyer who served as Republican National Committee chair but had never run for office himself.
- As enthusiasm lagged behind Whatley, GOP-aligned super PACs canceled their ads and redirected spending to more promising states, even as Trump still campaigned for Whatley in North Carolina.
Catch up quick: Cooper will succeed Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who decided not to seek reelection after clashing with Trump over the "big, beautiful bill" and its associated Medicaid cuts.
- Trump had threatened to back a primary challenger against Tillis.
On the trail: Cooper focused his campaign on affordability, blaming Republicans for high gas prices and tying GOP policies to inflation.
- Meanwhile, Whatley centered his platform on helping execute the Trump agenda, despite the president's historically low approval rating.
- Whatley attempted to paint Cooper as the "soft-on-crime candidate" and continued to recite a debunked claim that Cooper is responsible for freeing Decarlos Brown Jr., the man accused of stabbing and killing a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee on Charlotte's light rail.
- Trump alleged North Carolina had become "one of the most violent" states under Democratic leadership while campaigning for Whatley.
What's next: Cooper will take office in January. He will be the first Democrat to represent North Carolina in the Senate in over a decade.