Folks all across the country have been trying to find the words to describe what happened on Tuesday. They’re calling it a blue wave and a tsunami, a landslide and a seismic shift, a rout, wipeout, and shellacking– take your pick, they all fall short of fully conveying what you made happen. 

For two years, North Carolina took hit after hit from an administration that couldn’t care less about the harm it was causing. But you overcame it all, showing up for one another to send a clear, powerful, and unmistakable message: Enough of the corruption, the chaos, and the rising costs. We need change. 

And you made that change happen. You made history. 

With 2.7 million ballots cast before Tuesday, North Carolina set a record for early voting during a midterm. And when the ballots are all counted, over 4 million thus far, North Carolina’s voter turnout will be the highest it’s been in 36 years for a midterm election.  

With those ballots, North Carolinians of all backgrounds and geographies decided to hold right-wing extremists accountable. A handful of state and federal legislative races remain too close to call, so we still need to allow time for every single vote to be counted. But at this time, it’s clear that North Carolina elected Democrats in all five statewide races by double digit margins. Senator-elect Roy Cooper won by 19 points, marking the first Democratic statewide federal win in North Carolina since 2008. 

North Carolinians also re-elected Justice Anita Earls to the NC Supreme Court and sent three Democrats to the Court of Appeals. In the short term, North Carolinians have brought more balance to the courts. In the long term, you’ve given our state a shot at a more just judicial branch, one that serves the Constitution, not special interests. 

And remember when Republicans rushed to change the electoral maps so that Trump could hold on to power in Congress? North Carolinians turned that plan on its head, electing Democrats to at least 9 out of 14 seats and laying waste to a gerrymandering plan that was meant to disenfranchise Black voters. 

What about the state legislature? North Carolina broke the Republican supermajority in the NC Senate and gave Democrats a majority in the NC House of Representatives for the first time in 16 years, flipping 17 seats. 

The story of Tuesday will be written and rewritten for years to come. But the main takeaway, the lasting message, will always be about you. 

You reclaimed your power. You protected your community. You said enough of the skyrocketing costs and endless wars. You said enough of the billionaire handouts, corruption, and self-enrichment. You rolled up your sleeves, knocked doors, made phone calls, showed up to the polls, and took our country back. 

Enduring the past two years was a feat in itself, but you did more than simply carry on– you held on to hope. And in doing so, you fought back, for your family, your neighbors, and your community. You channeled that hope into electing a new generation of leadership that will do everything it can to support working families, rein in corruption, and stop the chaos. 

Thank you, North Carolina. You made history this week, but it’s only the beginning. Together, we’ll get to work creating the better future that you made possible.