Roy Cooper has never lost an election, and his winning streak continued Tuesday.

Cooper flipped the seat of outgoing Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who declined to run for another term in office. Tillis frequently clashed with President Donald Trump and has struck a defiant tone in his last days in office.

‘We have more in common than divides us.’

Cooper led Whatley 64.6% to 33.7% with roughly 62% of the vote in on Tuesday, according to NBC News.

Though most of the tabulated ballots so far come from early voting, Whatley won’t be able to bridge the gap with the remaining Election Day ballots. So far, Cooper has secured 66% of the early in-person vote, while Whatley has received 59% of the Election Day vote.

It’s the first time a Democrat has won a Senate seat in North Carolina since 2008, according to NBC News.

Cooper’s Election Night watch party, held at a hotel in state capital Raleigh, was jubilant. Music is blaring and attendees are celebrating with CNN playing in the background, according to an AP description.

Republicans turned their attention elsewhere since polling began to indicate a wipeout in the Southern state.

RELATED: Last-minute dirty tricks: Michigan voters reportedly being told they can’t split their ticket as Democrats defect for Rogers

Alex Wroblewski/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The national GOP began shifting North Carolina campaign cash elsewhere in October, signaling pessimism regarding Whatley’s odds, according to the AP. A top Republican super PAC canceled its ad spending in the race to protect more viable seats elsewhere in the country, according to NBC News.

President Trump slammed Cooper in his North Carolina rallies.

“He’s going to become your senator,” Trump said of Cooper at an October rally in North Carolina. “And it’s crazy.”

Whatley was aligned with Trump’s agenda, campaigning on his tax cuts and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The Republican candidate also hit Cooper as soft on violent crime. Trump called North Carolina’s cities “blood-soaked killing fields.”

Whatley, 58, is a former state GOP and RNC chairman but has never held elected office. He trailed Cooper in fundraising.

Cooper previously won four terms as attorney general and two as governor. He ran toward the middle, focusing on affordability and promising to “make stuff cost less.”

“North Carolina — I’m grateful for your trust,” Cooper said in an X post after media outlets called his race. “We have more in common than divides us. Here’s to building better days ahead!”

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​Early voting, Roy cooper, Thom tillis, Politics, North carolina 

The Republican National Committee’s Election Integrity team warned poll workers not to break the law after reports that some told voters they weren’t allowed to split their tickets.

The RNC Counsel’s Office sent Michigan county clerks a stern letter demanding that they follow the law. The Michigan Constitution explicitly allows voters to select a straight-ticket option on the ballot but specify particular candidates from the other party farther down the ticket.

‘The RNC is monitoring this issue in real time, and we are prepared to take whatever actions are necessary to protect Michiganders’ rights to vote for the candidates of their choosing.’

“We have received credible reports from across Michigan that election inspectors are telling voters that, if they vote a straight party ticket, they may not cross over and vote for a candidate from the other party,” RNC Election Integrity counsel Luke Bunting and senior counsel James Hasson wrote in the letter. “As you know, that is false. The Michigan Constitution expressly permits voters to select the straight party option but then cast votes for individual candidates of a different party.”

“As a clerk, it is your obligation to administer this election in accordance with state law and the Michigan Constitution. The Secretary of State has been notified and has taken steps to address this issue,” the RNC lawyers wrote. “The RNC is monitoring this issue in real time, and we are prepared to take whatever actions are necessary to protect Michiganders’ rights to vote for the candidates of their choosing.”

RELATED: Scanners down, ballots ‘already submitted’: RNC plays whack-a-mole on Election Day

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Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) endorsed Republican Mike Rogers in the Michigan U.S. Senate race over Democrat Abdul El-Sayed on Sunday. She also cited El-Sayed’s close friendship with controversial streamer Hasan Piker and his views on Israel and Jewish Americans.

Several notable Jewish and black Democrats have signaled that they are voting for Rogers.

“Please don’t feel as though that you cannot, if you liked Mike Rogers, that you cannot vote for him. You can, if you want to,” Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Waters told the New York Post on Monday.

Rogers has an uphill battle ahead of him. Michigan hasn’t elected a Republican to the Senate since 1994.

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​Election integrity, Mike rogers, Poll workers, Politics, Abdul el-sayed, Michigan 

Socialism is increasingly a political liability, but Democrats appear to have found a way around the label: Sell the same socialist ideas, but leave the label behind.

And Democrats like Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) are doing just that.

“Obviously, Democrats are very good at recruiting these particular candidates with a certain aura that they are confident have the potential to win, and they all have radical left socialist policy positions,” BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey explains, noting that “El-Sayed has been very careful not to publicly associate with DSA” while running.

“So, something in him understands that socialism, just blatant socialism, saying that I’m a democratic socialist, the way that Bernie Sanders did, is still not popular enough,” she says.

“They think they can sell the ideas without selling the packaging of socialism. They might be right about that. The truth is, the DSA doesn’t care,” she adds.

Stuckey explains that in July of this year, “DSA officials said that they were mobilizing organizers, volunteers, and resources to support El-Sayed’s campaign.”

“So, he might not openly say, ‘I’m a socialist.’ The socialists are saying, ‘We openly support El-Sayed.’ And that tells you what you need to know,” she says.

And while AOC was talking about “the means of production using socialist terminology” just a couple of years ago, she now “won’t call herself a socialist.”

“The truth is that the Democrats are playing it well. Socialism scares a lot of people off, just the word itself,” Stuckey says.

And because of this, the Republicans have “got some work to do.”

“What happens with the Republicans,” Stuckey explains, “unfortunately, is that they run a very conservative campaign, and then they end up moderating once they get in office. What happens with progressives is that they run a moderate campaign, and they end up going to the left once they get in office.”

“So, just understand that if you’re voting, you think you’re voting for a moderate Democrat, you’re actually voting for a radical progressive,” she continues. “If you think that you’re voting, in many cases, for a hardline conservative Republican, you’re probably voting for ultimately a moderate Republican.”

“Not always, but a lot of times,” she adds.

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​Socialism, Democrats, Abdul el sayed, Midterms, Alexandria ocasio-cortez, Blazetv show 

Join the live conversation on BlazeTV! Get seven days of BlazeTV+ free and submit your questions to our hosts: https://blazetv.com/midterms

Election night 2026 is here! Join Glenn Beck, Steve Deace, John Doyle, Nick Freitas, Sara Gonzales, Pat Gray, Dave Landau, Auron MacIntyre, and more for live midterm election results, breaking updates, race calls, and analysis throughout the night.

WATCH LIVE: 2026 Midterm Election Results | Nick Freitas, John Doyle, Steve Deace, Glenn Beck

We’re following the biggest 2026 Senate, House, and governor races across America as Republicans and Democrats compete for control of Congress.

2026 MIDTERM RACES WE’RE WATCHING

Texas Senate: Ken Paxton (R) vs. James Talarico (D)Ohio Senate: Jon Husted (R) vs. Sherrod Brown (D)Georgia Senate: Jon Ossoff (D) vs. Mike Collins (R)North Carolina Senate: Roy Cooper (D) vs. Michael Whatley (R)Maine Senate: Susan Collins (R) vs. Troy Jackson (D)Michigan Senate: Mike Rogers (R) vs. Abdul El-Sayed (D)New Hampshire Senate: Chris Pappas (D) vs. John Sununu (R)Iowa Senate: Ashley Hinson (R) vs. Josh Turek (D)Pennsylvania, Virginia & New Jersey: key House races that could help determine control of Congress

Beyond the election results, we’ll discuss the future of the Republican Party, the Trump administration’s impact on the midterms, the growing influence of socialism, and what the results could mean for the 2028 presidential election.

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Whether you’re following the Texas Senate election, watching the battle for control of Congress, or looking for live election-night commentary, join BlazeTV for real-time results and discussions about what comes next.

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​Politics, News, Blazetv, Blazetv show 

North Carolina’s State Board of Elections extended voting hours for three Democrat-heavy precincts and two that swung for President Donald Trump. The board also denied requests from three other counties, two of which swung hard for Trump in 2024.

The State Board of Elections voted Tuesday to extend voting at five precincts in Columbus, Hertford, Lenoir, and Wilson Counties after what Executive Director Sam Hayes called “technical glitches.” No unofficial results will post anywhere in the state until the last site closes at 8:15 p.m., the board said.

‘These are not indications of malicious activity, and the processes are in place to respond to each scenario.’

Three of those five precincts that got extra time Tuesday went for Kamala Harris by at least 68% in 2024, according to North Carolina State Board of Elections data.

Tabor City received the longest extension. The computer system at the South Williams precinct in the Tabor City Courthouse crashed temporarily, according to the Columbus County elections director. Workers switched to an emergency backup, and no voters were turned away, the director said. The precinct has been allowed to remain open for 45 extra minutes.

In Kinston, printer problems held up the opening of the K8 precinct at Holloway Recreation Center for “about 45 minutes,” Lenoir County Elections Director Kristie Smith told the board, Neuse News reported.

The board of elections eventually gave Lenoir County’s affected precinct an extra 30 minutes of voting time.

Hertford County received two extensions for 25 minutes at Como Fire and Rescue and 30 minutes at the Murfree Center in Murfreesboro. Wilson’s city recreation building got 15.

RELATED: Scanners down, ballots ‘already submitted’: RNC plays whack-a-mole on Election Day to protect the vote

Peter Zay/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Anyone who arrives after 7:30 p.m. at the five sites will cast a provisional ballot, per state law.

Hertford is a left-leaning jurisdiction. The county broke 62.9% for Kamala Harris in 2024.

Harris also won Wilson, albeit by a much thinner margin. Columbus went for Donald Trump by 66.6%, and Lenoir broke for him by around 53%, according to NCSBE results.

At the precinct level, things swing a bit further in Democrats’ direction, based on that same 2024 voting data.

Harris won Kinston’s K8 precinct by a whopping 94.3% for Harris. The former vice president also won Como’s and Murfreesboro’s affected precincts by around 70% each.

Trump did win south Williams by 63.5%, however.

The State Board of Elections denied Gates, Watauga, and Wilkes Counties’ requests for extended voting times, according to the News & Observer. Trump previously won Wilkes and Gates by 79.3% and 60.3% respectively, while Watauga broke 52% in Harris’ favor.

In Gates County, the person with the building key showed up late and delayed the start of voting, according to the Carolina Journal. A computer problem also delayed voting by at least 20 minutes in Wilkes County, and a voter had to be escorted in Watauga, which caused a similar delay, according to the outlet.

Hayes told reporters the issues were routine and nothing to be concerned about.

“During every election, minor disruptions arise such as power outages, tabulator issues, printer jams, longer lines than previously anticipated,” Hayes claimed, according to the News & Observer.

“These are not indications of malicious activity, and the processes are in place to respond to each scenario,” Hayes said.

The North Carolina State Board of Elections did not immediately respond to Blaze News’ request for comment.

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​Election, Kamala harris, North carolina, State law, Politics, Donald trump 

Early exit polling results were released by many outlets on Election Day, and the results showed an unhappy electorate that wasn’t terribly enthusiastic about voting for Democrats.

The results showed voters were beaten down by inflation and not too happy about the direction of the country.

‘Voters across parties express concern about affording everything from gas to groceries to utilities.’

CNN exit polling showed that the top concern for 39% of voters was the economy. Another 32% said their top concern was “democracy,” while 14% said it was immigration.

Health care, foreign policy, and crime rounded out the next three concerns at 8%, 4%, and 3% respectively.

CNN found that Trump had only a 38% approval rating and a 62% disapproval rating.

However, Democrats are not that much more popular, according to NBC News exit polling. Only 43% of respondents said they had a favorable view of Democrats, while 38% said they had a favorable view of Republicans.

And 16% said they had a favorable view of neither party.

CBS News reported that only 25% of exit poll respondents said they were “enthusiastic” or “satisfied” about the direction of the country.

Thirty-seven percent said they were “dissatisfied” with the direction of the country, while another 38% said they were “angry.”

Forty-four percent said that their financial situation was worse than two years ago. Only 38% said it was about the same, while 18% said it was better than two years ago.

“Voters are feeling it in their pocketbooks,” CBS summarized. “They are more than twice as likely to say their finances are worse rather than better, based on early exit polls. Voters across parties express concern about affording everything from gas to groceries to utilities.”

The exit polling appeared to corroborate a previous warning from pollster Frank Luntz.

“I’m still skeptical. In the end, Republicans are less likely to participate. They’re less likely to believe the polls are happening. I’m most interested in turnout,” he said in a recent segment with CNN. “They’re polling how the electorate overall feels and not polling the people [that] are actually going to participate.”

RELATED: NBC polling analyst finds MASSIVE problem for Democrats ahead of Election Day

NBC chief data analyst Steve Kornacki voiced similar skepticism about the popularity of Democrats.

“Voters out there who disapprove of Trump, aren’t happy about where the economy is, inflation, are they willing to take the next step and vote for Democrats given how unpopular Democrats are as a party?” Kornacki asked.

“Or does that keep the Democrats from fully capitalizing on what otherwise for them is a very promising political climate?” he added.

NBC reported that exit poll interviewers were going to be talking to voters outside of over 450 polling locations in 15 battleground states for the U.S. Senate elections.

The national exit polling sample will likely include more than 75,000 voters questioned at polling locations, via phone, and in online interviews.

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​Election day, Exit polls, Us senate, Midterm elections, Politics 

I hate to be the bearer of bad news. I know we all want the election madness to end — at least those of us who are not political consultants, pollsters, potential candidates, and reporters — but it is not over on November 3.

In fact, it is just beginning. Because Election Day no longer decides anything: It is merely the dividing line between one political campaign and the next.

I will be glad when Election Day has come and gone, but I’m not so naive as to believe that the vitriol will subside on Nov. 4.

Even worse, elections are no longer about policy or about determining the future of the country. Instead they have become one of two things: either a referendum on President Trump or a verdict on whose ads were most effective in destroying the opposition candidate.

Let’s skin the last skunk first. Political advertising as a general rule is the reason decent American citizens all despise politics — the dark art of getting elected.

Dirty ads are nothing new. We all remember the Willie Horton ad that helped get George H.W. Bush (R) elected president over Gov. Michael Dukakis (D) in 1988, and there are numerous other examples through the years, including LBJ’s famous “Daisy” ad that aired only once, linking his opponent to the threat of nuclear war.

But in general, dirty ads used to be a relatively small part of a campaign, held in reserve as a last desperate measure to save a flailing campaign or a single kill shot to disable a flailing opponent permanently. Not any more. These days, with the addition of named but virtually anonymous super PACs in the mix, the dirty ads air continuously from Labor Day till Election Day, with one aim only: to damage, undermine, and ultimately destroy the reputation of the opposition candidate.

Here in Montana, it wasn’t unusual in years past for candidates to run dignified campaigns that stressed issues and positive values. But those days may be over. And we’ll find out whether dirty politics pays off.

The campaign of Democrat Sam Forstag for the House seat being vacated by Rep. Ryan Zinke has been nothing but disgusting. The advertising being run on his behalf has smeared Republican candidate Aaron Flint with reckless disregard for the truth. One of the ads essentially asks, “Why do you think they call him For Sale Flint?” “They” don’t bother to answer, so I will. “They” call him that because Forstag’s supporters are making the claim without evidence.

Oh sure, the ads are well made and will probably convince some voters that Aaron Flint is corrupt, but there is no evidence other than that he takes campaign contributions from companies that Forstag opposes. But accepting lawful campaign contributions is not evidence that a candidate is for sale and never has been. In my opinion, such ads making baseless claims ought to disqualify the candidate they are backing. At the very least, they ought to make voters wary of candidates who manipulate voters with demagogic rhetoric and empty words.

RELATED: If Republicans can’t get Wyoming right, what are they fighting for?

Bobboz/iStock/Getty Images

Has Aaron Flint responded in kind? To an extent, yes, by pointing out that Forstag is not just a smokejumper as he portrays himself, but also a paid lobbyist for left-wing groups such as the ACLU. But Flint’s ads were launched well after Forstag’s started airing, and thank goodness they were, because without firing back, Flint would have been allowing his opponent to gain the upper hand by taking the low road. And here’s the key difference: Forstag’s ads are guessing about Flint’s supposed future behavior, whereas Flint’s ads are just stating facts about Forstag’s actual past behavior.

So yes, I will be glad when Election Day has come and gone, but I’m not so naive as to believe that the vitriol will subside on Nov. 4.

The partisan divide has become seemingly unbridgeable, and no matter what the results are on Tuesday, the temptation for politicians (and yes, for the rest of us) to paint political opponents as motivated by greed or stupidity will continue unabated. Nothing will change. If Republicans lose seats, Democrats will proclaim that America has repudiated Trump. If Republicans gain seats, Trump will claim vindication. And if the results are mixed, both parties will somehow manage to declare victory.

So as you are watching the election returns, consider this: Maybe it’s about time we think about what kind of results we want to see beyond who wins and who loses. Those are important, but even more important is restoring dignity to the electoral process itself.

It is not corrupt politicians we need to worry about; it is a corrupt system that encourages division, discord, and deceit. And it won’t go away unless voters stop rewarding the tactics they profess to despise.

This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.

​American citizens, Election day, Election results, Nuclear war, Political ads, Political advertising, Political division, President trump, Super pacs, Realclearpolitics, November 3, Midterm elections, 2026 midterms, Opinion & analysis