The November general election was the first time in North Carolina history, and only the eighth time in U.S. history, that the two major-party candidates for a U.S. Senate seat were both women. In addition, Hagan became the first Democrat to win this seat since it was won by the Republicans in 1972, and the first woman to defeat an incumbent woman in a U.S. Senate election. As of , this is the last time the Democrats won a U.S. Senate election in North Carolina, and also the last time the winner of this seat received a majority of the vote.