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Roy Cooper Joins North Carolina Senate Race as GOP Preps Trump-Backed Rival

The former governor has become the clear Democratic frontrunner for Thom Tillis’s open seat as Senate Leadership Fund launches six-figure digital ads for Michael Whatley.

FILE - North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks at a campaign event in Charlotte, N.C., Sept. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond, File)
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North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks during a North Carolina League of Municipalities meeting at Foothills Higher Education Conference Center in Morganton, N.C., Friday, Nov. 8, 2024.

Overview

  • Roy Cooper, a former two-term governor and ex-attorney general, officially launched his 2026 U.S. Senate campaign on July 28 to succeed retiring Sen. Thom Tillis.
  • Cooper’s statewide record and bipartisan appeal make him Democrats’ leading recruit in North Carolina, where the party hasn’t won a Senate race since 2008.
  • Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley, who holds President Trump’s endorsement, is preparing his campaign for the GOP nomination.
  • Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC backing Senate Republicans, has rolled out a six-figure digital ad campaign targeting Cooper’s record ahead of next year’s election.
  • Both parties are pouring resources into North Carolina, viewing the open seat contest as a key battleground that could decide control of the U.S. Senate in 2026.