2026 midterms · North Carolina
North Carolina Senate
U.S. Senate · primary Mar 3, 2026 · runoff Apr 14, 2026 · general election Nov 3, 2026 · rated toss-up
- candidates
- 2
- Democrats
- 1
- Republicans
- 1
candidates advanced
Roy Cooper (D) and Michael Whatley (R) advanced from the primary held on Mar 3, 2026 (runoff Apr 14, 2026). The general election is on Nov 3, 2026.
The candidates
Two candidates recorded as advancing from the primary. Two running for an open seat. Thom Tillis (R), who holds the seat now, is not on the list of those advancing.
Status is the FEC’s: an incumbent holds the seat, a challenger runs against one, and an open seat has no incumbent running. The lab records a primary’s result once it is official; candidates who did not advance are no longer listed.
Democrats
Open seat · advanced from the primary · 604 statements classified · $49.6M raised
Republicans
Open seat · advanced from the primary · 592 statements classified · $13.7M raised
Holds the seat now: Thom Tillis (R), not among the candidates recorded as advancing.
Notes
Rated toss-up. Cook Political Report ratings, entered by the lab (last updated by the lab on Jun 24, 2026); a forecaster’s judgement about the general election, not the lab’s.
What they say
The candidates’ statements differ most on policy discussion: from 45% to 56%. Both candidates have 10 or more classified statements.
An AI model reads each statement and marks the kinds of statement it contains; each bar is the share of a candidate’s statements with that label. Incumbent members of Congress are measured on everything they publish in office, everyone else on posts on X. A rate describes what was said, not whether it was right.
How do the candidates’ statements compare?
Share of each candidate’s statements with each label; grey tick: median of ranked Senate candidates
Personal attacks
Median 3.1% · axis 0–70%
- Cooper D4.6%
- Whatley R12%
Policy criticism
Median 18% · axis 0–70%
- Cooper D20%
- Whatley R10%
Policy discussion
Median 61% · axis 0–70%
- Cooper D45%
- Whatley R56%
Bipartisanship
Median 5.3% · axis 0–70%
- Cooper D4.3%
- Whatley R0.5%
Credit claiming
Median 15% · axis 0–70%
- Cooper D10%
- Whatley R14%
Show the data
| Candidate | Party | Statements | Personal attacks | Policy criticism | Policy discussion | Bipartisanship | Credit claiming |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roy Cooper | D | 604 | 4.6% | 20% | 45% | 4.3% | 10% |
| Michael Whatley | R | 592 | 12% | 10% | 56% | 0.5% | 14% |
| Median, ranked Senate candidates | 3.1% | 18% | 61% | 5.3% | 15% |
The five kinds of statement
Personal attacks. Overtly questions a named person’s character, integrity or loyalty, or calls them names. Criticising a record or a policy does not count.
Policy criticism. Objects to a specific policy, law or court ruling with fact-based arguments, without personal attacks or emotional appeals.
Policy discussion. Discusses a specific public policy or policy area (health care, taxes, defense, …).
Bipartisanship. Emphasises working across the aisle, compromise or common ground between the parties.
Credit claiming. Claims credit for passing legislation, securing funding or grants, or other accomplishments in office.
Candidates with fewer than 10 classified statements are left out. The grey tick is the median of the ranked Senate candidates (50 or more statements), for scale.
Money
Reported receipts range from $13.7M to $49.6M. Both candidates have campaign-finance figures from the FEC.
Totals each campaign reports to the Federal Election Commission for the 2026 cycle: money raised, money spent and cash on hand at the end of the latest filing.
How much has each candidate raised?
Total receipts reported to the FEC, with cash on hand
- Roy Cooper$49.6M$9.1M on hand
- Michael Whatley$13.7M$902.2K on hand
Show the data
| Candidate | Party | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand | Debts | Individuals | PACs | Party committees | Own money | Candidate loans | Through |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roy Cooper | D | $49.6M | $40.5M | $9.1M | $55.9K | $18.0M | $931.5K | $72.1K | $0 | $0 | — |
| Michael Whatley | R | $13.7M | $12.8M | $902.2K | $0 | $7.3M | $970.3K | $62.0K | $0 | $0 | — |