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. Matt Mercer, a North Carolina GOP spokesperson, told Newsweek that the poll should be "alarming for Democrats ."

RNC Chair Michael Whatley kicked off his campaign against former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper for North Carolina’s open Senate seat.

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.