👇 It's Wednesday, and the morning after Election Day! We have results for you.

⛅ Today's weather: Partly sunny, with a high of 78 and a low of 63.

🎂 Happy birthday to our member Molly Smith!

📱 Your local news, right in your feed. From the latest headlines to things to do around town, stay in the know with us on Instagram and Facebook.

Today’s newsletter is 992 words — a 3.5-minute read.

Democrat Roy Cooper was called the winner early on election night against President Trump's handpicked candidate Michael Whatley.

Why it matters: Cooper, the popular two-term governor, delivered Democrats one of their best shots at flipping one of two Republican-held Senate seats. Even in a state that voted all three times for Trump, Cooper has never lost an election.

Catch up quick: Cooper will succeed Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who decided not to seek reelection after clashing with Trump over the "big, beautiful bill."

On the trail: Cooper focused his campaign on affordability, blaming Republicans for high gas prices and tying GOP policies to inflation.

• Meanwhile, Whatley centered his platform on helping execute the Trump agenda, despite the president's historically low approval rating.

What's next: Cooper will take office in January. He will be the first Democrat to represent North Carolina in the Senate in over a decade.

Keep reading

📆 See what's going on around the city.

• Thursdays At The Turf: Drew Nathan Nov 5: Join us for live music at Thursdays At The Turf this fall, running September through November. Grab your shades, bring a blanket, and settle in for a rotating lineup of featured artists each week.
• Celtics vs. Hornets at Spectrum Center Nov 6: ​​Bank of America presents the Hornets Cup with Brandon Miller and your Charlotte Hornets taking on Jayson Tatum and the Celtics in a Friday night matchup you won't want to miss!
• Carolina Panthers Bud Light Block Party at Mint Street Nov 8: Visit the Bud Light Block Party tailgate before each Panthers home game this season! GA is open to the public, fans can enjoy cold beverages, food trucks, a DJ, cornhole, football toss, and more.
• DISCover Ultimate Frisbee Veteran's Day Camp at Sportsplex at Matthews Nov 11: Discover the sport of Ultimate Frisbee in a simple, fun, and interactive way.
• Southern Christmas Show at The Park Expo and Conference Center Nov 11 - 22: Don't miss the shopping event of the season! Explore 400+ vendors, with one-third featuring handcrafted artisan treasures. Plus, enjoy festive food, wine, live entertainment, Santa and more!
• Bach 360 at Booth Playhouse Nov 13 - 14: Why do so many musical roads lead back to Johann Sebastian Bach? Experience a close-up, 360-degree perspective of the Orchestra while exploring J. S. Bach's monumental influence across generations.

Want more things to do? Check out our Event Board.

Hosting? Purchase an Event Listing.

In a massive upset, U.S. House Rep. Tim Moore appears to have lost his reelection bid against Democrat LaKesha Womack in District 14, costing Republicans a seat they expected to hold on to.

Why it matters: Moore's loss underscores the blue wave's force, as North Carolina's Republican-led General Assembly redrew the district while Moore was House Speaker. It was supposed to be an easy win in a safe GOP district.

• With all of the precincts reporting, LaKesha Womack had 51.11% of the vote, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections as of 1am. The AP did not declare a winner as of press time.

And who's Womack? Womack has never held political office. She says she's an entrepreneur who previously experienced homelessness. She moved to North Carolina to work on Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign. Questions have been raised as to whether she actually lives in the 14th District.

• The home tied to her voter registration is listed for rent on Zillow, WBTV reported. And she recently bought a house in the 12th District. But you don't have to live in a district to run in it — just the same state.
• She previously told Axios her priorities in Congress would be to address affordability and restore "accountability for how taxpayer dollars are spent." She said she planned to advocate for federal investment in public schools, including teacher salaries and expanded early childhood education.

Democrats won the N.C. House for the first time in 15 years, creating a divided General Assembly.

• It will significantly change how legislation is made in Raleigh, with Democrats controlling the House and the Governor's Mansion, and Republicans still holding the Senate.

With all precincts reporting, here are some of the key races in Mecklenburg County:

• Former Matthews commissioner Ken McCool (D) flipped House District 105 by crushing incumbent Tricia Cotham (R) with 57% of the votes.
• Rep. Beth Helfrich (D) easily won against John Rhodes (R) with 60% of the votes in House District 98.
• Sen. Woodson Bradley (D) was victorious in her rematch against Stacie McGinn (R) with 59% of the votes in Senate District 42.
• Sen. Vickie Sawyer (R) fended off challenger Raygan Angel (D) with 57% of the votes in Senate District 37.

👩‍⚖️ Associate Justice Anita Earls won reelection against Republican challenger Sarah Stevens, protecting Democrats' chances of flipping the court in 2028 when three Republicans are up for reelection.

• Go deeper.

📜 All three changes to the state constitution put on the ballot by the N.C. General Assembly were approved, a bright spot for Republicans on election night.

✅ The City of Charlotte's bond packages all passed.

🏛️ Democratic Rep. Alma Adams easily won reelection and will serve her seventh full term.

Hornets Sports & Entertainment is buying and plans to revitalize Queen City Quarter — aka the Epicentre — in a joint venture with two real estate firms.

Why it matters: The Hornets have long envisioned an "entertainment district" around Spectrum Center, comparable to Milwaukee's Deer District.

• They've tossed around the name "Hive District."

The latest: The Hornets' ownership is partnering with firms Lincoln Property Company and Vision Ventures. A sales price was not disclosed.

• A press release says they intend to "revitalize" and "reimagine" the property "as a vibrant destination," but it offered no specifics.
• Vision Ventures owned the property from 2010 to 2015, according to the press release.

💭 My thought bubble: The Hornets organization is probably best positioned to revive what was once Charlotte's party central. They have the money and clout, the existing fan base, sellout games and a growing slate of events.

• 🤔 But what do y'all think?

Read the full story

🛻 Charlotte City Council members are continuing discussions about updating the city's towing ordinance. CMPD is now proposing a municipal permit system for tow truck drivers. (WBTV)

🌳 McDowell Nature Preserve has been added to a map of the country's oldest forests. (WFAE)

🧘 East Side Yoga will open at Eastway Crossing in spring 2027. (Instagram)

🏒 JETSET Pilates is hosting a Pilates class on ice at Bojangles Coliseum this Saturday at 1pm, followed by happy hour and a Charlotte Checkers game. (Instagram)

⏰ McKenzie realized this year's first-time voters were born in 2008. Um, wasn't that, like, five minutes ago?

🎬 Alex is looking a little closer at the world after seeing John Wilson's "The History of Concrete" at Independent Picture House.

📻 Ashley enjoyed chatting with Mike Collins on Charlotte Talks yesterday about her book.

🙏 Alexis is excited to see how the Hornets will revive the old Epicentre. It's been a long time coming.

🍕 Melissa, who edited this newsletter, had King of Fire for her election night pizza yesterday.