Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper led Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley by 6 percentage points in the first major poll of the 2026 North Carolina Senate race. The Emerson College poll,

A new Victory Insights poll of the North Carolina Senate election points to a close race between former Governor Roy Cooper and Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Michael Whatley, while an Emerson College poll gives Cooper a lead in what is likely to be one of the most competitive of the 2026 midterms.

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.