Cooper wins NC Senate seat with double-digit lead

Raleigh, N.C. Former Governor Roy Cooper has secured the U.S. Senate seat for North Carolina, defeating Michael Whatley in a race called shortly after Tuesday evening's polls closed. The Associated Press and NBC News declared Cooper the winner as early returns showed a wide margin over the former Republican National Committee chair. Cooper is the first Democrat from the state to reach the Senate since 2008.

Cooper, 69, enters the chamber after a 38-year career in state government that began when he won a seat in the state House in 1986. He served as a lawmaker, attorney general, and governor, leaving office at the end of 2024 with a reputation for steady leadership. He ranked among the state's most popular politicians during his tenure.

The outcome was widely anticipated by political insiders, who largely wrote off Whatley a month before the election. Polls consistently gave Cooper a double-digit lead, prompting Republican groups to pull back advertising. National GOP organizations removed funding from the race in early October, and Whatley paused his television spots.

Whatley, a former oil and gas lobbyist, was tapped by President Donald Trump in July 2025 to replace incumbent Thom Tillis, who retired after disagreements over Medicaid cuts. Trump had driven Tillis from office over policy conflicts, particularly regarding healthcare funding. Whatley promised to support the president's agenda but struggled to distinguish himself as Trump's approval ratings in North Carolina declined over the past 15 months.

Republican critics labeled Cooper the worst governor in state history, citing increases in housing and energy costs. They also blamed a legal settlement from the pandemic era that released about 3,000 state prisoners who were close to finishing their sentences. Some linked Cooper's policies to the death of Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte's light rail last year. Cooper countered by highlighting job growth, teacher pay raises, and Medicaid expansion. He maintained a focus on lowering costs and ran a final advertisement connecting Whatley to a child sex offender.

Experts initially forecast a tight contest that could cost more than $1 billion in spending. That did not happen. Instead, national Democrats shifted attention to competitive races in Ohio, Texas, and Kansas. At a mid-October rally for Whatley, Trump acknowledged the difficulty of the race, stating that Cooper is going to become the senator and that the situation is crazy.