Democrats gain ground in battle for Congress with North Carolina flip

Washington: On Tuesday, Democrats secured a Republican-held Senate seat in North Carolina, signaling a potential shift in power following the midterm elections. The vote was closely watched, as Democrats need to win four Senate seats and three House seats to gain a majority in both chambers. However, millions of votes were still uncounted.

In North Carolina, former Governor Roy Cooper triumphed over Republican Michael Whatley, while in Georgia, Senator Jon Ossoff edged out US Representative Mike Collins. In New Hampshire, Democratic candidate Chris Pappas retained the state's Senate seat. In Florida, Republican Senator Ashley Moody narrowly led Democrat Angie Nixon, with both candidates polling around 3 percentage points apart.

Democrats held onto three House districts in Florida, all of which had been redrawn to favor Trump. As of 9 p.m. ET, numerous races were still being tallied. Polls indicated that half of voters saw the midterms as a chance to criticize Trump, while 75% expressed dissatisfaction with the country's direction. Additionally, 70% wanted Congress to impose more checks on the president.

Historically, the president's party has lost seats in Congress in all but two midterms since World War II. Trump's approval rating was near his lowest point, with voters frustrated by the ongoing war with Iran, increased fuel prices, and affordability concerns. Republicans had painted Democratic candidates as extremists, inciting a strong response from Democrats.

With 47 House races considered competitive, Democrats would need to win 13 of them to gain control. However, in the Senate, the party must defend all current seats and win at least two states that voted for Trump by a large margin, such as Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, and Texas.