Who's In the Race
Democrat Roy Cooper faces Republican Michael Whatley and Libertarian Shannon Bray in the November 3 general election in North Carolina's U.S. Senate race. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said he would not seek re-election, leaving the seat open.
Cooper served as North Carolina's attorney general for four terms and then as governor from 2017 to 2025, before that working as a lawyer in Rocky Mount and serving in the state legislature. He won the March 3 Democratic primary with about 92% of the vote over runner-up Justin Dues.
Whatley served as chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party from 2019 to 2024 and as chairman of the Republican National Committee during the 2024 cycle; he also served as chief of staff to Sen. Elizabeth Dole and holds a law degree from the University of Notre Dame. He won the March 3 Republican primary with about 65% of the vote over runner-up Don Brown.
What They Stand For
Cooper has proposed making everyday costs lower under a campaign message he calls "Make Stuff Cost Less," according to his campaign website. He's also supported:
- Opposing tariffs, arguing they raise costs for consumers and farmers,
- Ending the war in Iran and criticizing the strategy behind it, according to the Elon News Network,
- Restoring health care subsidies; and
- Opposing the One Big Beautiful Bill as a whole, while supporting individual tax provisions within it, including deductions for tips, overtime, and Social Security income, according to WRAL.
Whatley has proposed working with President Trump to restore law and order, roll back cashless bail and support law enforcement, according to his campaign website. He also supports:
- Securing the border and deporting people he describes as criminal illegal aliens,
- Reducing taxes and regulations, and says reliable, affordable energy and curbing federal spending are important to economic strength,
- Defending Second Amendment rights, protecting life and opposing what he calls "radical woke ideology" in schools; and
- President Trump's tariffs, saying they are part of trade policies that "are going to help North Carolina companies," according to WRAL.
Bray, the Libertarian candidate, has said his campaign focuses on privacy, free speech, due-process protections and simpler taxes, according to his campaign website.
The Money Behind the Race
Through June 30, Cooper had raised about $35 million and had about $20.7 million in the bank, nearly six times the roughly $3.5 million cash on hand reported by Whatley, who had raised about $11.3 million over the same period, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
Outside groups have spent about $8.9 million opposing Whatley, with WINSENATE the largest spender on that side at about $8.8 million, and about $2.4 million opposing Cooper, led by Americans for Prosperity Action at about $1.8 million.
Outside groups have also spent about $5 million supporting Whatley, led by Americans for Prosperity Action at about $4.4 million, and about $1.2 million supporting Cooper, led by Progress North Carolina Action at about $823,000.
Race Outlook: Ratings and Betting Markets
Three major race-rating services lean toward Cooper. The Cook Political Report rates the contest Likely Democratic as of Oct. 12; Sabato's Crystal Ball rates it Lean Democratic as of Oct. 15; and Inside Elections rates it Lean Democratic as of Oct. 2. On Kalshi, traders gave Democrats, whose nominee is Cooper, a 95.61% chance of winning as of Oct. 19, with Republicans, whose nominee is Whatley, at 4.39%.
That Democratic lean runs against the state's recent partisan history: Donald Trump carried North Carolina in the 2024 presidential race with about 51% of the vote, and Republicans won 10 of the state's 14 U.S. House seats that year. In 2022, the two parties split the state's House delegation evenly, seven seats each. In 2022, Republican Ted Budd won the North Carolina U.S. Senate race with about 50% of the vote.
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