Cooper leads Whatley by 8 points in NC Senate race: Survey
by Caroline Vakil - 03/26/26 6:09 PM ET
Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) is leading former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Michael Whatley by close to 8 points in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), according to a new poll.
A Carolina Journal poll, conducted by Harper Polling and released Thursday, showed Cooper receiving about 49 percent support while Whatley received 41 percent, with a separate 10 percent of respondents saying they preferred someone else or they were unsure.
A similar survey conducted for Carolina Journal in November showed Cooper holding a similar lead at 47 percent support to Whatley’s 39 percent. A separate 14 percent of respondents in that November survey said they preferred someone else or were unsure.
The Tar Heel State is considered a possible flip opportunity for Democrats. While the party has been able to win statewide, it hasn’t elected a Democratic senator since 2008, when former Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) won her race.
That election cycle was also the last time Democrats won North Carolina at the presidential level.
“Midterm elections are almost always a referendum on the party in the White House, and this poll shows that dynamic is alive and well in North Carolina,” Donald Bryson, John Locke Foundation CEO and Carolina Journal publisher, said in a release.
“With more voters saying the country is on the wrong track and the president underwater, the environment is naturally tilting toward the out-party.”
A polling average of North Carolina Senate surveys compiled by Decision Desk HQ shows Cooper holding an 8-point edge over Whatley at 48 percent support to Whatley’s 40 percent.
The Carolina Journal poll surveyed 600 likely voters between March 22 and 23. The margin of error is 4 points.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5803338-roy-cooper-michael-whatley-north-carolina-senate-poll/
