Democrats won the first important contests of America's midterm elections on Tuesday night. Roy Cooper, a former governor of North Carolina, captured the state's open Senate seat from the Republicans, the Associated Press projected, defeating Michael Whatley, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee. It is the party's first gain in its push for a Senate majority.
In Georgia, Jon Ossoff held his seat against Mike Collins, a Republican congressman close to Donald Trump. Mr Ossoff was the only Democratic senator seeking re-election in a state Mr Trump won in 2024. In Virginia, Mark Warner was re-elected, as expected.
The arithmetic
Republicans went into the night with 53 of the Senate's 100 seats. Democrats need a net gain of four to win control; holding Georgia and Michigan and flipping North Carolina keeps that route open. The races that will decide the chamber, in Texas, Ohio, Maine, Iowa, Kansas, Alaska and Michigan, had not been called when this article was published.
The North Carolina seat was left open by the retirement of Thom Tillis, a Republican. Mr Whatley was Mr Trump's choice to lead the national party before running for the Senate, making the defeat a direct blow to the president's political operation. Polls had shown Mr Cooper leading by between six and 15 points.
A night shaped by prices
The early results fit the picture painted by the exit polls. Forty-three per cent of voters said they had voted partly to oppose the president, and 65 per cent said his policies had made the economy worse, according to the NBC News Exit Poll. Petrol averaged $4.17 a gallon on the eve of the vote, more than a dollar above its level a year earlier.
Democrats need a net gain of three seats to win the House of Representatives. Counting there is likely to take longer, with many competitive districts in states such as California that count mail ballots for days.
This article will be updated as further races are called.
