It wasn’t a tsunami — and maybe it wasn’t quite a wave, either — but North Carolina is still seeing red.
Despite a stronger night than expected for Democrats across the country, the Tar Heel state took a strong step to the right Tuesday. Republicans appear to have gained a supermajority in the state Senate, and GOP candidates swept statewide judicial races, including two critical seats on the N.C. Supreme Court.
There is at least one reason for many North Carolinians to breathe a sigh of relief, however: Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto power remains intact. Unlike in the Senate, Republicans stopped one seat short of a veto-proof majority in the House, according to unofficial results. That means abortion access — both in North Carolina and across the Southeast — is likely safe. And other dangerous legislation, such as new voting restrictions, is less likely to be resurrected.
