The first projections after the polls closed in the legislative elections for the Senate in North Carolina point to the victory of Democrat Roy Cooper, who defeats Republican Michael Whatley and secures a seat in a state considered decisive for control of the Upper House of the United States Congress.
This outcome also represents the first time since 2008 that a Democratic candidate has won a seat in the Senate from North Carolina. The party, it should be recalled, still needs to take four more seats from Republicans to reach a majority in the chamber.
For the rest, the projections released in the last few hours do not reflect major changes: all the Democratic senators who were in contention have managed to retain their seats. The estimates place Chris Coons as the winner in Delaware, JB Prizker in Illinois, Ed Markey in Massachusets, Cory Booker in New Jersey, Jack Reed in Rhode Island, and Chris Pappas in New Hampshire.
With this provisional allocation, Democrats would secure 43 seats in the Senate versus 35 for Republicans, who for now continue to hold control of the Upper House.
A certain measure of relief for Republicans has come from Florida, where Senator Ashley Moody has renewed her term against her opponent Angie Nixon, pending confirmation of what could become one of the narrowest differences of recent electoral cycles in this historic conservative stronghold.