Former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has defeated former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley in the contest for North Carolina’s open Senate seat, NBC News projects.
\n\nCooper’s victory secures a crucial flip for Democrats as the party tries to take control of the Senate. The party must gain a net of four seats to clinch a majority. The result also marks the first time a Democrat has won a Senate seat in North Carolina since 2008.
\n\nCooper will succeed retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis, who grew increasingly critical of President Donald Trump during his second term and chose not to seek re-election.
\n\nThe race was initially expected to be one of the most hotly contested across the Senate landscape. But in the closing weeks of the campaign, a top Republican super PAC canceled its ad spending in the race to focus more on protecting seats in more conservative territory as Cooper built a solid lead in the polls.
\n\nThe abandonment of North Carolina as a front-line battleground resulted from several factors. First, Cooper, a popular former two-term governor, enjoyed high name recognition while Republicans had few attacks to lob his way. A prized recruit for national Democrats, Cooper also avoided…
Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/