North Carolina
Open — Thom Tillis (R) retiring
D
Roy Cooper
DEM · Former Governor
R
Michael Whatley
REP · Former RNC chair
Latest poll: High Point Univ., September 24, 2026: D 50 · R 42 · Sabato: Lean D
North Carolina Senate 2026
Roy Cooper vs. Michael Whatley · Open — Thom Tillis (R) retiring
Cook: Lean DSabato: Lean D
Election results · unofficial
All live results →Race insight · September 30, 2026
Roy Cooper (D) leads Michael Whatley (R) by 8.0 points in the average of 1 public poll from the 14 days ending September 24, 2026. The Cook Political Report rates it Lean D; Sabato's Crystal Ball rates it Lean D.
Poll trend
Head-to-head
Candidates
Lean D
Campaign news · summaries in our words
- North Carolina Senate
Whatley dismisses a poll showing Cooper ahead by 15 points as a "trash poll" and says the race is tightening. WUNC ↗
Candidate background
Full candidate biographies, primary results and campaign history: North Carolina Senate election on Wikipedia ↗. Official candidate lists and certified results come from the North Carolina election office via vote.gov.
Every poll
| Pollster | End date | Roy Cooper (D) | Michael Whatley (R) | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Point Univ. | September 24, 2026 | 50 | 42 | D +8 |
Margins under about 4 points are within typical sampling error. See our methodology.
Voting in North Carolina
Check registration deadlines and early or mail voting in North Carolina on vote.gov. See all North Carolina races.
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