Associated Press (AP) called former Gov. Roy Cooper and Democrat Bob Brooks winners in North Carolina’s U.S. Senate and Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District races, respectively, while its live update said Democrats had won Senate control.
Cooper defeated Republican Michael Whatley for the seat held by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. Tillis chose not to run for a third term, clearing the way for Cooper to succeed him, AP reported. AP noted North Carolina had gone without electing a Democrat to the Senate since 2008 and that Cooper is the state’s fourth Democratic senator-elect in five decades.
AP identified the Lehigh Valley as part of Pennsylvania’s 7th District. The outlet’s pre-election account put Mackenzie’s 2024 margin at 1 percentage point and President Donald Trump’s at 3 percentage points. AP also described Brooks as a former firefighter and union leader who made affordability a campaign theme.
At one AP update, Democrats had gained five Senate seats and flipped seven House seats. AP’s live coverage said the House was too early to call, while The Independent cited a CNN projection of a Democratic House takeover.
