A new poll of the North Carolina Senate election points to a close race between former Governor Roy Cooper and Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley in what is likely to be one of the most competitive of the 2026 midterms.

A new survey from Emerson College Polling shows former governor Roy Cooper (D) leading early in the North Carolina U.S. Senate race. The new poll previews the projected 2026 race featuring Cooper and RNC Chairman Michael Whatley,

Roy Cooper broke fundraising records in his first 24 hours as a Senate candidate — a massive cash boost the former North Carolina governor will need for what’s expected to become one of the most expensive statewide campaigns in U.S. history.