US midterms: Democrat wins North Carolina as first polls close

Follow the latest developments from the US midterm elections on November 3, 2026:

Polls have now closed in a swath of central states, including in the closely watched Senate races in Michigan and Texas.

According to the AP Voter Poll, young voters were among those demographics that swung away from Republicans in this election.

Young voters only make up about 10% of the electorate, according to the poll.

In 2024, Trump had managed to make inroads with voters under 30, who ended up evenly split between him and Kamala Harris.

But in this election, about 7 in 10 of voters under 30 nationally said they supported the Democratic House candidate in their area.

Former governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper, has won the Senate seat in the southern state, defeating Republican Michael Whatley.

Cooper succeeds Republican Senator Thom Tillis, who did not seek reelection for a third term after clashing with Donald Trump last year over the president's signature "big beautiful bill."

Cooper's win is a major boost for the Democratic Party in North Carolina, which has voted for Trump in the previous three presidential elections.

While Jon Ossoff's win in Georgia will grab headlines because of the 39-year-old senator's relative youth, the Senate races in Delaware, Massachusetts and New Hampshire have panned out as expected.

Results are starting to come in from across the US, where people voted for their next Congress.

DW takes a look at who voted Republican, who voted Democrat and what it all means.

US Senator Jon Ossoff, a rising star in the Democratic Party, won his reelection in Georgia, according to Associated Press data. It is the first major race to be called of the midterm elections.

Ossoff, who has been speculated as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, defeated US Representative Mike Collins in a contest that was once considered competitive, as Georgia has traditionally been a Republican leaning state.

But the rave moved out of reach for Republicans amid Trump's declining approval ratings and Jon Ossoff's popularity in the state.

Exit polls conducted by SSRS on behalf of a consortium of US media outlets, including major television networks and the Associated Press, showed that half of voters saw the 2026 midterm elections as an opportunity to rebuke the president.

Three-quarters of US voters said they are "angry" or "dissatisfied" with the way the country is headed.

Some 70% of voters surveyed said they want Congress to provide more checks and balances on the president.

According to the AP Voter Poll, dissatisfaction was very high in Democratic-leaning states such as California and Massachusetts. However, even in Republican-leaning states, a majority of voters were at least "dissatisfied."

Initial exit polls also showed that around six in 10 voters disapprove of Donald Trump's job performance.

Trump's approval rating currently stands at 38%, far below the 45% recorded during the 2018 midterm elections in his first term, according to CBS News and NBC News.

Broadcasters said his ratings were lower than those of former President George W. Bush during the 2006 midterm elections. During that election, Bush's Republican Party lost control of both chambers of Congress.

According to NBC News, most voters blame Trump for a poor economic performance in the US.

Some 65% of voters believe Trump's policies have made the economic situation worse. Half of voters said the cost of living played a major role in their voting decision.

Celebrities and artists urged citizens to vote and made their voices heard on their voting preferences for the midterms. US rock legend Bruce Springsteen urged election officials to resist any government voting interference.

His comments reflect a general fear among many Democrats that President Donald Trump's administration may intervene in the midterms.

"I'm speaking to election officials and representatives of our government on election day. You have sworn an oath to preserve, protect and defend our Constitution," the 77-year-old said in a video on Instagram.

Springsteen, known for his tracks "Born to Run" and "Dancing in the Dark," has been a vocal critic of Trump critic and backed Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

Meanwhile, female rapper Nicki Minaj, who is an avowed fan of Donald Trump and has made appearances with him on the campaign trail, posted on the platform X calling for people to vote "red," the color of the Republicans.

Actress Cynthia Nixon from the hit show "Sex and the City" urged people to vote for the Democrats on her Instagram account. She called on people to vote "for every child who has been separated from their parent, for every trans person who is being stripped of their basic human rights, for the millions of people who are about to lose their healthcare to give Trump billionaires ANOTHER tax cut."

Others did not reveal their political inclinations, while simply urging people to exercise their right to vote.

"Your vote matters! What a privilege it is to use it," Actress Reese Witherspoon wrote on Instagram.

Late night talk show hosts Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel both posted picture of themselves with the election sticker reading "I voted."

The clock has just struck 7 p.m. local time in the eastern United States.

That means polls have closed in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Virginia and Vermont.

Polling stations are still open in the most keenly watched races, though.

Voters in Ohio have another 30 minutes, until 7:30 p.m. (0030 GMT) to cast their ballots.

In Michigan, as well as traditional Republican stronghold Texas, polling stations will close at 9 p.m. Eastern time.

The first polling stations in parts of Indiana and Kentucky closed at 6 p.m. local time (2300 GMT).

However, most other states, which span six time zones, will keep their polling stations open for several more hours.

Alaska, located in the far west, will be the last state to close its polls at 0500 GMT.

Howdy from Austin, where Texans are turning out in record numbers.

More than 7.7 million people have already voted early in the 2026 midterms. That's over 40% of registered voters and a new record for a midterm election in Texas.

In 15 counties, early voting has already surpassed the total number of votes cast in the entire 2022 midterm election. We're also seeing a surge in Hispanic voters, an important group in a state like Texas.

All eyes are on the Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico. Texas hasn't elected a Democratic senator since 1988, but this time the race is extremely close. Recent polls give Talarico a small lead, but it's still too close to call.

We spoke to dozens of voters in Austin and El Paso.

Many told us they're worried about the economy, political corruption and the deep divisions in America. Some said those divisions matter even more than gas prices.

DW's Isaac Holmberg and Benjamin Alvarez Gruber met former Trump voters who are now supporting Democrats: "I am hurt. I mean, I'm hurt to be an American and struggling.

And there's another big question: can money buy an election? Elon Muskhas spent around $168 million (€150 million) supporting Senate Republicans, according to The New York Times. But despite all that spending, the Texas race remains very competitive.

Tonight, Texas could make history. The question is whether it will finally turn blue or remain red.

Hello from Detroit, where the DW team is spending Election Day. It's an uncharacteristically sunny day for November this far north, which could be good for voter turnout.

Michigan is one of the biggest battlegrounds in this election. The Senate race between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers is being watched as a test for the future of the Democratic Party.

Early conversations with voters around the city show a clear preference for El-Sayed. However, anecdotes aren’t data, and Michigan is a big state. His campaign volunteers are stationed outside a downtown Whole Foods, hoping that last-minute reminders can help him over the line.

In a country weary of politics, relentless campaigning and ad targeting, some say Election Day is a source of inspiration.

"It's just always encouraging to see that there are real people on the ground making change and demonstrating their civic duty," Andrew Wu told DW's Kyra Krall at a polling station.

El-Sayed is a progressive backed by Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who beat the party establishment's pick in the primary. If he wins in a state Trump carried in 2024, progressives will say it proves their politics can win in a swing state.

If he loses, Republicans and moderate Democrats will say it shows the limits of the left. Either way, it's an early preview of the fight over the party's direction heading into 2028.

A quick update from the White House. Things are getting a little busier here. Colleagues from all around the world are gathering, even though US President Donald Trump has no public appearances scheduled today.

So for now, we keep waiting for the first results to come in, The president is scheduled to attend a watch party at 7 p.m. (0000 GMT), as of now without any press allowed. There is a lot at stake for him, of course. This could be the last day Trump can count on comfortable Republican majorities in Congress. If the Democrats take control of the House, he could become what he himself calls a "veto president." But a weakened Trump at home doesn't necessarily mean a less confrontational Trump abroad. Quite the opposite. He might lash out even more on the international stage. This is a concern widely shared by many world leaders. And international politics are already making headlines today. Trump said that the US will stop providing roughly $4 billion (€3.6 billion) in annual military aid to Israel starting next year. Instead, Israel would buy American military equipment. Quite a statement on Election Day — and another example of his America First approach. There are also concerns about election integrity. The Justice Department is deploying 1,000 federal election monitors across the country, raising questions about the role of the federal government in elections that are administered by the states. Critics fear political interference; the administration says the goal is to ensure that election laws are followed. While I'm keeping an eye on the White House as today's foreign press pooler, our DW colleagues are reporting from Texas and Michigan. Will Americans put the brakes on Trump, or give him a green light for the next two years?

US voters are heading to the polls tired and frustrated with the skyrocketing cost of living. They are predicted to punish Trump and his Republican Party. What would this mean for the president’s ability to govern?