North Carolina Senate Race: Cooper Holds Slim Lead Over Whatley

In the early stages of the 2026 Senate race, former North Carolina governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, has a narrow six-point lead over his Republican challenger, Michael Whatley, according to a recent Emerson University poll released on Friday morning.

The poll indicated that Cooper received 47% support from voters in this pivotal state, while Whatley, who is also the chair of the Republican National Committee, garnered 41%. Interestingly, 12% of those surveyed were undecided about their choice.

Among those polled, 51% expressed a positive opinion of Cooper, who served as governor from 2017 to 2025. However, 33% viewed him negatively, while 13% were unsure, and only a small 3% claimed they were not familiar with him at all. On the other hand, Whatley had a mere 17% approval rating and a slightly better 16% disapproval rating. A significant 30% of respondents did not know who he was, and 36% were unfamiliar with him.

When it comes to broader voting preferences, the poll showed a statistically tie: 41.5% of respondents favored Democratic candidates, compared to 41.3% for the GOP.

On another note, the poll found that former President Donald Trump holds a 46% job approval rating in North Carolina, which is just a couple of points higher than his 44% disapproval rating.

In previous elections, Trump had a positive outcome in North Carolina, winning with 50.9% of the vote against Kamala Harris, who secured 47.7%.

According to Emerson College’s executive director, the low name recognition of Whatley poses both challenges and opportunities. Many voters are still unaware of him, leaving space for his campaign to shape his image before Cooper can. Conversely, Cooper’s established reputation and higher name recognition could give him an edge.

Whatley officially joined the race on Thursday, getting backing from prominent Republican figures, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune and National Republican Senators Committee Chairman Tim Scott. His former role as chair of the North Carolina Republican Party has also earned him considerable support.

In light of this competitive Senate race, retiring Republican Senator Tom Tillis’s seat is expected to draw significant attention and funds. Recently, Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel of North Carolina stepped back from his Senate candidacy, clearing the way for others, including Cooper.

Cooper is viewed as a strong recruit for Democrats, having raised an impressive $3.4 million in the first 24 hours of his Senate candidacy, according to reports.

Meanwhile, some Republican groups have initiated a $200,000 ad campaign labeling Cooper as “radical” and “woke.” This race is shaping up to be contentious.

The Emerson College survey was conducted from July 28 to 30, sampling 1,000 registered voters in North Carolina. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. The sample sizes for potential Democratic and Republican primary voters were 445 and 416, respectively, with higher margins of error.

Data was weighted to reflect various demographic factors, including gender, education, race, and age, based on US census and voter registration data.