EDENTON — After a long day at the polls, Republican voters across northeastern North Carolina settled several high-profile primary contests Tuesday night, setting the stage for competitive general election matchups in November. 

Been a long day and my eyes are tired, so for those folks that are still awake who are reading this – I’ll fill in the final numbers in the morning before sunrise. Hopefully, there won’t be any weird surprises — hanging chads or missing ballots — like the elections I’ve covered in the past — 2000 and certainly 2020. And there will be a more extensive story ahead.

To the candidates, win or lose, you gave it your best and to the voters, thanks for participating in democracy.

As of about 10:45 p.m. or so, with more than 93 percent of the precincts reporting, here’s what we can report. If things change after I go to bed — Dewey defeats Truman — I’ll be able to update the story in the morning, which the Chicago Daily Tribune wasn’t able to do in 1948.

In the 1st Congressional District race, Laurie Buckhout defeated Asa Buck, Bobby Hanig, Eric Rouse and Ashley Nicole Russell to become the Republican standard-bearer. Buckhout will now face incumbent Democrat Don Davis in November in what is expected to be one of the most closely watched races in the state, maybe the nation. 

At the state legislative level, Republican voters in North Carolina Senate District 1 chose Jerry Tillett over Jay Lane, Dave Forsythe and Cole Johnson in what had been described as a hard-fought campaign. 

Speaking of Senate, it looks like Sam Page beat President Pro Tem and powerbroker Phil Berger in the Republican Primary for District 26. Well, that’s going to be a thing… wow! … I’ll say it, I’m sure there’s a lot of happy shrimpers and commercial fisherman when they hear the news.

In North Carolina House District 1, Ed Goodwin prevailed over John Spruill in another closely contested primary. 

And check that out — Darren Armstrong defeated Keith Kidwell in the Republican Primary for NC House, District 79. Kidwell has served in the General Assembly since 2019.

For Pasquotank Sheriff — Republican Primary — Tommy Wooten easily defeated Nina Daniels.

But the marquee race of the night — and one drawing national attention — was the Republican and Democratic primaries for U.S. Senate. The seat is being vacated by Sen. Thom Tillis, who announced last June that he would not seek a third term.

On the Republican side, former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley cruised to victory. Often described as “President Trump’s man” in the race, Whatley entered the contest after receiving his endorsement. Trump carried North Carolina in all three of his presidential campaigns, and his backing proved decisive in consolidating support behind Whatley.

Whatley, 57, lives outside of Charlotte and previously served as North Carolina GOP chairman. His career has included work in President George W. Bush’s administration, for former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole and as an oil and gas lobbyist.

On the Democratic side, former Gov. Roy Cooper easily secured his party’s nomination. Cooper, 68, served two terms as governor and 24 consecutive years in statewide office. He has not lost a North Carolina election since first running for the state House in the mid-1980s.

Both Whatley and Cooper entered the Senate race weeks after Tillis announced he would step aside. Tillis’ decision followed public calls from President Trump for a primary challenge, citing Tillis’ opposition to Trump’s tax breaks legislation, particularly provisions involving Medicaid cuts.

Despite facing crowded primary fields, Whatley and Cooper largely focused their attention on each other rather than intraparty rivals. Their early general election-style campaigning underscored the stakes of the contest.

Cooper’s entry into the race energized Democrats, who see North Carolina as a key pickup opportunity in their effort to regain control of the U.S. Senate. Democrats view a potential path to a majority as running through North Carolina, along with Maine, Alaska and Ohio. A Democrat has not won a Senate race in North Carolina since 2008, but national Republican strategists have acknowledged that Cooper’s popularity makes the seat more difficult to hold.

Cooper currently holds a significant fundraising advantage over Whatley. However, both candidates are considered skilled fundraisers, and political observers expect outside groups to pour substantial sums into the race. Analysts say the contest could become one of the most expensive Senate campaigns in U.S. history.

Cooper and his allies have already begun framing the race around Whatley’s loyalty to President Trump and Trump-backed policies, arguing they are raising costs on families or harming low-income residents. Republicans, meanwhile, are expected to tie Cooper to national Democratic priorities in what promises to be a sharply defined and intensely fought campaign.

With primary voters having made their choices, attention now turns to November, when Buckhout, Tillett, Goodwin and Whatley will carry the Republican banner in a series of races that could shape the political direction of the state and nation.