Ossoff holds Georgia seat as Democrats sweep key northeastern races

Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff secured another term for Georgia on Tuesday, according to Associated Press projections. He defeated Republican US Representative Mike Collins in a contest that drew national attention. The outcome moved the party closer to controlling the Senate.

Collins campaigned with the support of President Donald Trump. Trump won Georgia by two percentage points in the 2024 presidential election. Ossoff’s win showed Democrats could hold a major battleground despite that recent Republican success. The Jewish senator kept the seat in Democratic hands.

In Pennsylvania, Governor Josh Shapiro was also declared the winner of his reelection bid. He will serve another term as governor. Shapiro is viewed as a potential Democratic candidate for president in 2028. His victory added to the party’s gains in the midterms.

Other Democratic victories were projected in several other states. Roy Cooper was expected to defeat Michael Whatley in North Carolina. A win for Cooper would mark the first time a Democrat has won a Senate seat in that state since 2008. In Illinois, Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton was projected to beat Don Tracy to replace retiring Senator Dick Durbin.

Democratic incumbents in the Northeast were also expected to keep their seats. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey was set to win a third term against Justin Murphy. In Massachusetts, Senator Ed Markey was projected to defeat John Deaton. Markey had previously won a primary challenge earlier in the year.

Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island was expected to win a sixth term. In Delaware, Senator Chris Coons was projected to beat Michael Katz. These results completed a group of northeastern races where Democratic incumbents were favored to prevail.