Roy Cooper

The two-term former governor is running for the open seat left by retiring Sen. Thom Tillis, against former RNC chair Michael Whatley. October polls have shown Cooper ahead by 7 to 14 points, putting one of Democrats' most important pickup opportunities within reach.

On the ballot against Michael Whatley (R)

Why it matters: This open Republican-held seat is seen as a must-win for Democrats' hopes of netting four seats, and a Democrat has not won a Senate race in North Carolina since 2008.

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The race at a glance

Race ratingLikely DCook Political Report, Oct 20 source

Polling average (6 polls) Cooper 52.3% 41.7% Whatley 6% undecided or other Cooper +10.6Jul 1Oct 20Most recent poll from each pollster, Oct 8 to Oct 20. Checked 31 min ago. Every poll

Money raised (through Sep 30) Cooper$47,190,466 Whatley$13,415,721 $12,477,395 cash on hand. source

Every poll in this race

Pollster	Date	Sample	Cooper	Whatley	Margin
ActiVote	Oct 20	400 LV	57%	43%	D +14
YouGov	Oct 20	560 LV	54%	43%	D +11
Change Research	Oct 13	829 LV	50%	40%	D +10
SurveyUSA	Oct 13	643 LV	54%	40%	D +14
Trafalgar Group	Oct 12	1,091 LV	49%	41%	D +8
East Carolina Univ.	Oct 8	810 LV	50%	43%	D +7
Catawba College	Sep 30	885 · Margin of error ±3.7%	48%	37%	D +11
AARP	Sep 28	1,115 LV · Margin of error ±2.9%	53%	42%	D +11
Opinion Diagnostics	Sep 25	857 LV · Margin of error ±3.3%	52%	44%	D +8
High Point Univ.	Sep 24	706 LV · Margin of error ±3.9%	50%	42%	D +8
YouGov	Sep 23	3,742 LV · Margin of error ±2.6%	53%	41%	D +12
Quantus Insights	Sep 23	688 LV · Margin of error ±4.2%	48%	43%	D +5

LV = likely voters, RV = registered voters. Polls listed by 270toWin, which lists 40 polls in this race; the newest 12 are shown. Each pollster name links to its own release.

Roy's TV ads

Campaign adSenate, NC

Roy Cooper

“Roy Cooper Releases First TV Ad of Senate Campaign”

Cooper +10.6From the campaign's own channel · 10K views

Campaign adSenate, NC

Roy Cooper

“Watch my new ad: No AI. No special effects. Just Michael Whatley in his own words.”

Cooper +10.6From the campaign's own channel · 8.5K views

Posted by the campaign on YouTube. Plays from YouTube when you press play.

In Roy's own words

**Roy Cooper**, told supporters at a Raleigh voting site during the primary (AP report, March 3, 2026) source

**Roy Cooper**, accepting the North Carolina State AFL-CIO endorsement source

Where Roy stands

Health care: He would reinstate the Affordable Care Act tax credits, reverse Medicaid cuts, and cap yearly out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs. source
Prescription drugs: He wants Medicare to negotiate prices on more medicines and to crack down on pharmacy benefit managers. source
Grocery prices: He would end the tariffs driving up farm costs, block grocery-chain mergers, and outlaw price-fixing and pricing algorithms that target individual shoppers. source
Energy bills: He says he will hold utility companies, including Duke Energy, accountable and work to cut electricity costs. source

The record

Governor of North Carolina, 2017–2025
Attorney general of North Carolina, 2001–2017, the longest tenure in state history
Negotiated North Carolina's Medicaid expansion with a Republican legislature
First run for the U.S. Senate

ConfidentialThe GOP File

The file on Michael Whatley

Whatley is a former chairman of the Republican National Committee and entered the race after President Trump endorsed him. source
Whatley's career has included work as an oil and gas lobbyist. source
Whatley has said he will be a true America First partner to President Trump. source

Endorsed by

North Carolina State AFL-CIO

Roy Cooper. Photo: NetwonsBucket, CC BY-SA 4.0

Profile sources: 1, 2, 3

Race data checked Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Quotes on this page were matched word for word against their sources.