US midterm elections: Democrats flip one of the four Senate seats they need to wrest control of the Congress

US midterm elections: The Democrats have flipped one of the four Senate seats they need to win control of the US Senate, with North Carolina Democrat Roy Cooper defeating Republican Michael Whatley in a contest for a seat previously held by the Republicans.

Cooper, a former governor of North Carolina, comfortably defeated Whatley, who was backed by President Donald Trump, according to US media projections. Democrats still need to secure a net gain of three more Republican-held seats to take control of the chamber.

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The party has won nine Senate races so far, compared with two for Republicans, out of the 35 seats being contested on Tuesday. In Georgia, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff defeated Republican US Representative Mike Collins in a race that had once been considered competitive. In New Hampshire, Democrat Chris Pappas won the state's open Senate seat, defeating Republican John Sununu.

After his victory was projected, Pappas said New Hampshire was a state that showed compassion towards people struggling with drug addiction and families in need of food or shelter. He said he would bring that spirit to his work in the Senate.

In Florida, Republican Senator Ashley Moody fended off Democratic challenger Angie Nixon, but led by only about three percentage points in a state Trump won by 13 points in 2024.

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Democrats also held on to three Florida House districts that Republican lawmakers had redrawn earlier this year. Trump had carried all three by at least nine percentage points.

The results have boosted Democratic hopes of wresting control of Congress from Trump's Republicans, although millions of votes were still being counted. Democrats were favoured to win the House, where they need to secure 13 of the 47 competitive races identified by election forecasters, assuming other contests follow expectations.

The Senate contest remains more challenging. Democrats must defend all their existing seats while gaining at least two states that voted for Trump by double-digit margins in 2024.

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The midterm elections are being viewed as a referendum on the first two years of Trump's second term. Exit polls indicated that half of voters saw the elections as an opportunity to rebuke the president, while 70% wanted Congress to provide greater checks and balances on him.

Trump's approval rating has been near career lows, with voters expressing frustration over the Iran war, higher fuel prices and affordability concerns.