By: TWC News Staff & Associated Press
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Republican state House Speaker Thom Tillis has defeated Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan after a lengthy, expensive race in North Carolina.Republicans have now seized control of the Senate for the first time in eight years.
Tillis' win gives the Republicans the six seats they need for a majority in the Senate that takes office in January.
Tillis' political career began in 2003 when he was elected to the Town of Cornelius Board of Commissioners, and served a two year term. In 2006 Tillis was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives, and was elected Republican House Whip in his sophomore year. Related StoriesThe former IBM consultant and onetime architect of the GOP takeover of North Carolina state government defeated Hagan by a vote of 49 percent to 47 percent, with nearly all the votes counted. Tillis won the race following a bruising campaign in which the candidates and outside groups spent more than $100 million, making it the most expensive Senate race. Tillis ran on a platform that highlighted the Republican record of legislative accomplishments that included lower taxes and regulations. He and his allies also blasted Hagan for being too closely aligned with President Barack Obama. Tillis announced his candidacy 18 months ago.
Entities 0 Name: Tillis Count: 6 1 Name: Senate Count: 3 2 Name: North Carolina Count: 2 3 Name: Hagan Count: 2 4 Name: TWC News Staff & Associated Press Count: 1 5 Name: Cornelius Board of Commissioners Count: 1 6 Name: IBM Count: 1 7 Name: House Count: 1 8 Name: Thom Tillis Count: 1 9 Name: Sen. Kay Hagan Count: 1 10 Name: Barack Obama Count: 1 11 Name: North Carolina House of Representatives Count: 1 12 Name: GOP Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1Af76oV Title: Costly U.S. Senate race in North Carolina in dead heat Description: Credit: Reuters/Chris Keane Voters cast their ballots at the Grove Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina November 4, 2014. More than $108 million has been spent on the contest, according to the nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation. Yet the candidates remained nearly tied ahead of Election Day, with the RealClearPolitics poll average showing Hagan up by just 0.7 percentage point.
