Roy Cooper Officially Files for North Carolina’s Open U.S. Senate Seat
His filing launches a bid to flip Thom Tillis’s seat with Michael Whatley already in the Republican primary.
Overview
- Cooper submitted his paperwork Wednesday after announcing his campaign over the summer.
- Michael Whatley, a former RNC chair endorsed by President Donald Trump, filed Tuesday to run in the GOP primary.
- Elizabeth Temple and Don Brown have also entered the Republican field, and Cooper is currently the only Democrat filed.
- North Carolina’s Senate primary is scheduled for March 3, 2026, with the general election on Nov. 3, 2026.
- A Nov. 13 Carolina Journal/Harper Polling survey showed Cooper leading Whatley 47.3% to 39.1%, and late‑September filings reported $14.5 million raised by Cooper and $5.8 million by Whatley.