Roy Cooper beat former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley to flip North Carolina’s open Senate seat for Democrats, in the race the AP called at 8:24 p.m. ET.
Roy Cooper has won statewide races in North Carolina for more than two decades, and he has never lost one. Tuesday’s Senate win was his seventh statewide victory.
Cooper, 69, served two terms as governor, from 2017 to 2025. Before that, he was the state’s attorney general for 16 years, the top law enforcement official in North Carolina.
The seat was open because Republican Sen. Thom Tillis did not run again. Cooper beat Michael Whatley, who stepped down as chairman of the Republican National Committee to run. Cooper campaigned on a simple promise: lowering the everyday costs families pay.
His win matters because North Carolina is one of the closest states in the country. Democrats rarely win there, but Cooper has done it again and again. Watch how he uses that record in Washington — a Democrat who wins a state that usually votes Republican carries weight in his own party.
Fast facts
- Age: 69
- Party: Democratic
- Office: U.S. Senator
- State: North Carolina
- Previous job: Governor of North Carolina (2017–2025)
- Called by AP: 8:24 p.m. ET, Nov. 3, 2026
Part of the Zark News Election 2026 winners profile series. Winners are listed as called by the Associated Press.
