The race is one of nine battlegrounds that will decide control of the Senate, and the state has not elected a Democrat to the chamber in nearly 20 years. GOP officials attribute the vulnerability to Whatley's ties to Donald Trump, who holds a 39% approval rating in the state. While a Democratic operative reports that internal GOP polling shows Cooper up by double digits, some party leaders believe the seat can be saved if economic sentiment improves before the election.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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Roy Cooper Leads Michael Whatley in Bid for First Democratic NC Senate Seat in 20 Years
US Politics27 days ago
Republican operatives are privately conceding that a once safe win in a key southern state is now in jeopardy as internal and public polling deteriorate. A YouGov poll from Sept. 15-18 shows Democrat Roy Cooper leading Republican Michael Whatley 54% to 41% in the fight for a Senate vacancy. A separate Quantus Insights survey from Sept. 21-22 shows a tighter margin of 48.4% to 43.3%. In response to the slide, the Republican super PAC Old North Action scrapped $6.5 million in ad reservations for October.
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