Roy Cooper wins North Carolina Senate seat

North Carolina voters chose Democrat Roy Cooper as their next U.S. senator. The Associated Press called the open seat for Cooper on Tuesday, handing the Democratic Party a major win in the state.

Cooper is the first Democrat elected to the Senate from North Carolina since 2008. He defeated Michael Whatley, a former Republican National Committee chair. President Trump selected Whatley to replace retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis.

Campaign finance records show Cooper and national Democratic groups outspent their opponents. In the weeks leading up to the election, national Republican organizations paused their television advertising in North Carolina. They redirected those funds to other competitive states, including Kansas.

Cooper, who served as governor from 2017 to 2024, built his campaign around the cost of living. He promoted a state tour titled "Make Stuff Cost Less." Whatley focused his message on crime and immigration. He highlighted a legal agreement from the pandemic era that moved inmates out of state prisons to reduce overcrowding.

Polls showed the economy was the primary concern for voters, not crime. Whatley ran for office for the first time in this race. Cooper’s team described Whatley as a lobbyist for the oil industry who would support Trump’s agenda in the Senate.

Patrick Sebastian, a Republican strategist who was not part of the Whatley campaign, suggested the economy should have been the main focus. "Really it's the economy is Issue A and then Issue B is probably government corruption, that people are following the most," Sebastian said. He added that voters who shop at Walmart can buy less for their money due to rising prices.

Tillis announced in 2025 that he would not seek reelection. Trump threatened Tillis with a primary challenge after Tillis voted against the president's tax and spending bill. Tillis has since promoted a book criticizing other Republicans rather than campaigning for his successor.