Photo: NCDOT / CC BY 2.0 (2018 crop)
Updated November 3, 2026, 9:09 p.m. EST: Added the Associated Press race call.
Democrat Roy Cooper has won North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race over Republican Michael Whatley, the Associated Press reports, flipping the seat held by retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. Read the AP race call via WTOP.
The call gives Democrats a pickup in a closely watched southeastern battleground. It does not decide control of the Senate; the chamber’s majority depends on results in other states.
Cooper previously won four statewide elections for attorney general and two for governor. Fox described Tuesday’s win as his seventh consecutive statewide victory. He campaigned on cost of living and health care and said he would work with President Donald Trump where possible while opposing him when needed.
Whatley, a first-time candidate and former chairman of the Republican National Committee, had Trump’s support. He previously led North Carolina’s Republican Party and campaigned on jobs, wages, lower costs and public safety, according to Fox.
The network posted its projection at 8:28 p.m. Eastern. This report includes no vote totals or margin; a media projection is not a certified election result.
JBizNews Desk | Washington
© JBizNews.com. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution is strictly prohibited.
.jpg){kind=link}