Overview

• Former Gov. Roy Cooper formally launched his Senate campaign on July 28, immediately becoming the clear Democratic front-runner for the open North Carolina seat.
• Republican Sen. Thom Tillis’s decision not to seek reelection in late June created the vacancy that Cooper and GOP contenders are vying to fill.
• RNC Chair Michael Whatley is poised to secure the Republican nomination after winning President Trump’s endorsement.
• Both national parties have mobilized ad spending and staff support in a race rated a pure toss-up that could determine control of the Senate.
• Cooper, a two-term governor with high name recognition, is running on a middle-class economic message and a record of bipartisan achievements.