Nov 3, 2026 · open seat
North Carolina - United States Senate
⭐ This is one of seven races that will determine control of the Senate! Get caught up ↓
Roy Cooper
Democrat - Age: 69
Two-term governor and 16-year attorney general. Has won six statewide races — never lost one.
Campaign website →
Michael Whatley
Republican - Age: 58
Former Republican National Committee chair, recruited by President Trump. First run for office.
Campaign website →
Who's ahead?
CookLEAN DSabatoLEAN DDDHQLIKELY D
All three expect the seat to flip to Democrats. Ratings: Cook Political Report (Aug 20), Sabato’s Crystal Ball (Aug 26), Decision Desk HQ (Aug 5). Source →
Cooper
49.8
Whatley
38.7
Carolina Journal / Harper poll of likely voters →
As of May 11
Where they stand
Tap a topic that's important to you.
COOPER SAYS
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WHATLEY SAYS
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Money & campaign finance
Where each candidate stands on campaign-finance questions.
COOPER
WHATLEY
Yes
Ban Congress from trading stocks
No
Unknown
Takes corporate PAC money
Yes
Corporate PAC sources: Whatley: Chemours PAC $5,000 (WUNC)
Fundraising
RAISEDCASH ON HANDUNDER-$200 DONORS
Roy Cooper
$35M$20.7M14% of receipts
Michael Whatley
$11.3M$3.5M16% of receipts
Campaign committee totals for the 2025–26 cycle, through June 30, 2026. Under-$200 share is unitemized individual contributions divided by total receipts. FEC filings →
Their big promises
COOPER'S TOP 3
Make life affordable
His campaign centerpiece: lower costs on housing, groceries, energy, and child care.
Protect health care
Defend the Medicaid expansion he won as governor; extend ACA insurance subsidies.
Public schools first
Raise teacher pay and steer federal money to public schools over vouchers.
WHATLEY'S TOP 3
Back the Trump agenda
A reliable vote for the administration on taxes, energy, and judges.
Farms & factories
Champion North Carolina agriculture and manufacturing; recruit new plants to the state.
Law & order
More border enforcement and tougher sentencing; he attacks Cooper's record on crime.
Agree or differ?
Federal aid for Hurricane Helene recovery
Both want more federal money for western North Carolina's rebuild
Support NC's military bases & veterans
Both campaign on Fort Bragg, Camp Lejeune, and veteran services
Extend ACA health-insurance subsidies
Cooper: yes, warns of premium spikes · Whatley: sides with his party against the extension
Abortion
Cooper: vetoed NC's 12-week ban as governor · Whatley: anti-abortion, backed by national pro-life groups
Trump's tariffs
Cooper: blames them for rising costs on NC families · Whatley: defends them as leverage for U.S. jobs
School vouchers
Cooper: fought private-school vouchers for a decade · Whatley: supports school choice
Their stories
ROY COOPER
1957Born in Nashville, NC; worked his family's tobacco farm; became a small-town lawyer.
2000Elected attorney general; served 16 years, longer than anyone in state history.
2016Beat a sitting governor the same night Trump carried the state; won again in 2020.
2026Won the Democratic primary with 92% — aiming to be NC's first Democratic senator since 2015.
MICHAEL WHATLEY
1968Raised in Gaston County; law degree, then Washington jobs in the Bush administration.
2019Chaired the North Carolina Republican Party through two Trump campaigns.
2024Ran the Republican National Committee during Trump's winning campaign.
2025Recruited by Trump to run for Tillis's open seat; won the primary with 65%.
The backstory
Positions summarized from campaign websites, voting records, and news reports · July 2026
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