Who is Roy Cooper and what is Cooper running on in the 2026 North Carolina Senate race?

Roy Cooper is the Democratic candidate for North Carolina U.S. Senate. Former two-term Governor of North Carolina (2017-2025) and former state Attorney General; Democratic nominee for an open Senate seat. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

The race

• The seat: Open seat (Republican Thom Tillis retiring).
• Polling: Cooper 49, Whatley 34, Bray (L) 3, Dublin (G) 2 (Harper Polling for Carolina Journal, Sept 13 to 15, 2026, 608 LV); DDHQ average Cooper 50.5, Whatley 41.8.

Why Cooper is ahead

• Cooper is a two-term former governor with far higher name recognition and favorability; only 26% view Whatley favorably and 18% have never heard of him.
• Trump approval in NC is underwater (41% approve / 57% disapprove among likely voters) and Whatley is seen by 74% as likely to back Trump’s priorities.
• Cooper has a large money edge: about $35.0M raised vs Whatley’s $11.3M through July 2026 FEC filings.
• Cooper leads among independents (46 to 23 in Catawba-YouGov, March 2026) while Whatley’s GOP support has slipped from 81% to 74% with Republicans drifting to undecided.

What Cooper is running on

• Ethics / stock trading. Supports an outright ban on individual stock trading by members of Congress and top executive officials, and pledged not to own or trade individual stocks himself.
• Healthcare. Points to Medicaid expansion and healthcare access, including for people in jails, as part of reducing crime.
• Whatley’s finances. Has made Whatley’s individual stock holdings a campaign issue and called on him to divest.

In Cooper’s own words

“I won’t own or trade any individual stocks as a candidate or when I become a US senator, regardless of whether a ban is passed”

The other candidates

• Michael Whatley (R)

Every race

See every Senate and governor race on the ballot, with each candidate’s chance of winning: the 2026 midterms at a glance.