North Carolina Senate race 2026: Whatley vs. Cooper
General election, November 3, 2026 · U.S. Senate in North Carolina. Open — Sen. Thom Tillis (R) retired
Michael Whatley
Michael Whatley (R) vs. Roy Cooper (D)
A Conservative Ledger profile for this contest has not been published yet.
The race at a glance
Board data as of . Ratings are the raters' own current calls; polls are the newest public ones with their field dates; money is what the committees reported. Nothing here is a forecast.
- Seat
- Open — Sen. Thom Tillis (R) retired
- Ratings
- Cook Lean D (moved from Toss Up on ); Sabato Leans Democratic (moved from Toss-up on ); Inside Elections Tilt Democratic (as read )
- Newest public polling
- Newest public poll: Cooper +5.9 (Trafalgar Group, ); 28 general-election polls tracked
- Reported money
- FEC: Whatley cash on hand $3,461,698 (as read )
- Notable
- Measured on the Ledger's Senate battleground board, .
Questions and answers
Who is running for U.S. Senate in North Carolina in 2026?
Michael Whatley (R) vs. Roy Cooper (D) (as of Sep 15, 2026).
When is the election?
The general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
How do the raters see this race?
Cook Lean D (moved from Toss Up on Apr 13, 2026); Sabato Leans Democratic (moved from Toss-up on Jun 11, 2026); Inside Elections Tilt Democratic (as read Sep 15, 2026) (as of Sep 15, 2026).
What do the polls show?
Newest public poll: Cooper +5.9 (Trafalgar Group, Sep 10, 2026); 28 general-election polls tracked (as of Sep 15, 2026).
How much money has been reported?
FEC: Whatley cash on hand $3,461,698 (as read Sep 15, 2026) (as of Sep 15, 2026).