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Roy Cooper Solidifies Front-Runner Role After Wiley Nickel Exits North Carolina Senate Race

Unified Democratic backing has elevated Roy Cooper to front-runner status in a Senate contest defined by President Trump’s endorsement of Michael Whatley.

FILE - Rep. Wiley Nickel, D-N.C., speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Nov. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
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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Overview

  • Former Rep. Wiley Nickel formally suspended his Senate bid on July 29 and endorsed Roy Cooper, clearing the Democratic field.
  • Roy Cooper becomes the undisputed Democratic front-runner, leveraging his statewide name recognition from two terms as governor and 16 years as attorney general.
  • RNC Chair Michael Whatley has secured President Trump’s “complete and total endorsement” and is expected to formally launch his campaign in the coming days.
  • Senate Republicans have launched digital ad offensives targeting Cooper through groups such as the Senate Leadership Fund.
  • Control of the U.S. Senate, currently held by Republicans 53–47, could hinge on the outcome in North Carolina, which is rated a toss-up in 2026.