Democrat Cal Cunningham concedes North Carolina Senate race

(Image credit: Brian Blanco/Getty Images)

published 10 November 2020

Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham conceded the North Carolina Senate race on Tuesday, a week after polls closed.

In a statement, Cunningham said he called to congratulate incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on winning re-election, effectively ending the tight contest.

North Carolina is still counting votes, though it had become clear that Tillis would hold on to his narrow lead, and Decision Desk HQ had called the race in his favor earlier on Tuesday, despite most outlets holding back.

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Tillis' victory gives the GOP 49 seats in the Senate, which will most likely jump to 50 once Alaska finishes tallying ballots. That means the two Georgia runoffs, as expected, will determine the fate of the upper chamber's majority in January.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.