Dems Get First Key Win of the Midterms as Roy Cooper Flips a Senate Seat in North Carolina

Democrats got the first key win of the midterms as former Governor Roy Cooper flipped a Senate seat by defeating Michael Whatley in North Carolina.

It is the first time a Democrat wins a seat in the state since 2008. Cooper will succeed retiring Sen. Thom Tillis, who has been increasingly critical of President Donald Trump since announcing he wouldn't seek re-election.

NBC News detailed that the race initially appeared to be contested, but Cooper began amassing a solid lead in the polls during the last weeks of the campaign, leading a top Republican super PAC to cancel ad spending to focus on other races. Democrats need to flip four seats to regain control of the Senate.

The elections increasingly became a referendum on Trump's administration as higher prices, largely a result of the war in Iran, dominated the public conversation and voters' concerns.

A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that the cost of living was the top issue for 48 percent of respondents. The poll aligns with other surveys that found the economy and the cost of living among voters' top issues. According to the Pew Research Center, 84 percent of voters said the economy was a very important issue heading into the election. As an issue, the economy is up five points in terms of importance to voters compared with what Pew found in the lead-up to the 2022 midterm elections.

Moreover, 49 percent of people said their household finances have gotten worse since Trump returned to office. Only 13 percent said things had improved and another 37 percent said things had stayed about the same.

The war with Iran is another key issue for voters, according to Reuters, is the war with Iran. Only 25 percent of respondents said the war was worth it, while 55 percent said it was not. Another 18 percent were unsure.

According to the website Silver Bulletin, which compiles numerous polls and creates a composite score, the Iran war has never been popular and has never been supported by more than about 40 percent of the public. Currently, the website has 56.5 percent of people opposed to the war and only 35.9 percent supporting it.

The Reuters poll also found a significant number of voters concerned about data centers and money in politics.

About 42 percent of respondents said described the issue as important and wanted some restrictions on the construction of the facilities. Data centers have become a political flashpoint in some areas of the country as critics say they drive up electricity costs and consume fresh water, while providing limited benefits to local communities.

In a rare display of bipartisan agreement, Republicans and Democrats said they are worried about billionaire donors in politics. The poll found that 93 percent of Democrats and 71 percent of Republicans do not believe that it is appropriate for billionaires to spend millions of dollars to influence elections.