GOP’s Tillis upsets Hagan in NC

North Carolina state Speaker Thom Tillis (R) has defeated Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), a come-from-behind victory in a huge night for the GOP.

{mosads}The Associated Press has called the race for Tillis, who leads Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) by 49 to 47 percent with 97 percent of precincts reporting.

Tillis had trailed Hagan by a small margin for much of the race, but an increased focus on foreign policy and a deteriorating national environment for Democrats nationwide had helped him erase her margins in recent weeks.

His win all but guarantees Republicans control of the Senate.

Hagan’s campaign had been touted as one of the Democrats’ best of the cycle, as she built a huge fundraising lead and drilled relentlessly on Tillis’s record as Speaker with a strong focus on education. Democrats also spent heavily on the ground game in the state, hoping to boost her in a close race.

But Tillis gained ground steadily once he and national Republicans started matching Democrats on the airwaves, and pulled ahead as the tide turned against Democrats in recent days.

“We’re going to fulfill our promises and we’re going to make this country great again,” Tillis said in his victory speech. “We overcame a lot of adversity and here we are with the opportunity to make America great again.”

This post was last updated at 12:25 a.m.