Cooper takes North Carolina Senate seat

Roy Cooper defeated Michael Whatley for the U.S. Senate seat in North Carolina, the Associated Press projected Tuesday evening. The former governor secured 66.8% of the vote against Whatley’s 31.6% as of 8:23 p.m. on Nov. 3.

The result gives Democrats a key pickup in the fight for control of the Senate. Whatley conceded the race on Tuesday night. In a speech, he said he called Cooper to congratulate him.

Cooper is 69 years old and resides in Nashville, Nash County. He was born on June 13, 1957. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

He served as the state’s 75th governor from 2017 to 2025. Before that, he was the state attorney general from 2001 to 2017. He previously held seats in the state Senate and state House. He and his wife, Kristin, have three daughters.

His opponent, Whatley, is a former Republican National Committee chairman and former North Carolina GOP chairman. The race was for the Class 2 U.S. Senate seat. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis retired and did not seek reelection.

Multiple fall 2026 polls from Elon University, ECU, High Point University, and Emerson showed Cooper leading by 6 to 15 points. Cooper announced his bid in summer 2025 and won the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.

The general election took place on Nov. 3, 2026. The winner will serve a six-year term starting Jan. 3, 2027, and ending Jan. 3, 2033.