Cooper Leads Whatley in Tight North Carolina Senate Race

A High Point University poll of 660 likely North Carolina voters conducted in early August shows former Democratic governor Roy Cooper at 50 percent and Republican former RNC chair Michael Whatley at 45 percent, a 5-point margin within the poll’s 5.2-point credibility interval.

The HillNewsweek

The race is for the open U.S. Senate seat held by retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis. Democrats must flip at least four of the Senate’s six GOP-controlled seats to gain a majority, making North Carolina a focal point of the 2026 midterms. The Cook Political Report has shifted its rating from “toss-up” to “leans Democratic.”

The Hill

• High Point University poll (early August): Cooper 50 % vs Whatley 45 % (660 likely voters).

Newsweek

• Elon University poll (July 23-31): Cooper 53 % vs Whatley 42 % (800 adults).

Newsweek

• Voter registration: Republicans hold a 53-45 majority in the Senate, excluding independents.

Newsweek

• Whatley’s campaign: At a Charlotte press conference, Whatley framed public safety as his central theme, accusing Cooper of a “pro-criminal agenda” and saying Cooper would oppose all of President Donald Trump’s judicial appointments.

WFAE - NPR - Charlotte

• Cooper’s campaign: Cooper’s team highlighted his record of signing “tough-on-crime” legislation and prosecuting violent offenders as governor, while criticizing Whatley for appointing a convicted child-sex predator to a senior party role.

WFAE - NPR - Charlotte

Voters at Cooper’s “Make Stuff Cost Less” tour voiced affordability concerns. Retired teacher Ramona Henderson Bryson said rising health-care premiums added “$400” to her monthly budget, a burden she described as unmanageable.

Asheville Citizen-Times

Polls differ on the size of Cooper’s lead: High Point shows a 5-point advantage, Elon an 11-point gap, and the Carolina Journal a 12-point margin. No source provides a definitive explanation for these variations, and the impact of upcoming early-voting periods on turnout remains unquantified.

The Hill

• “This is a man who is going to have a pro-criminal agenda the moment that he gets to the Senate,” — Republican Michael Whatley, *Citizen Times* reporter

WFAE - NPR - Charlotte

• “That extra $400 is something we can't manage,” — Ramona Henderson Bryson

Asheville Citizen-Times

Early voting begins in roughly two months, with mail-in absentee voting opening in about two weeks. Both campaigns have indicated plans to increase in-person events as the November 3 election approaches.

Newsweek