Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has won the open U.S. Senate seat for the Democrats, marking a significant victory for the party. This win, confirmed by the Associated Press, makes Cooper the first Democrat to secure a Senate seat from North Carolina since 2008.
Cooper defeated Michael Whatley, who previously chaired the Republican National Committee and was chosen by President Trump to replace the retiring GOP Senator Thom Tillis. Throughout the campaign, Cooper and the national Democratic Party significantly outspent their Republican counterparts.
Weeks before the election, national GOP groups redirected their advertising resources to other key battlegrounds, such as Kansas, pulling funds from North Carolina.
Cooper’s campaign was heavily focused on economic issues. His “Make Stuff Cost Less” tour addressed affordability concerns across the state.
In contrast, Whatley’s campaign emphasized crime and immigration. He criticized Cooper over a legal settlement during the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in inmate releases to alleviate prison overcrowding.
Polls indicated that economic issues outweighed crime concerns for North Carolina voters. Cooper’s campaign portrayed Whatley as a lobbyist aligned with Big Oil and simply an extension of Trump in the Senate.
Patrick Sebastian, a Republican strategist, commented that the economy should have been the primary focus for Whatley’s campaign. He stated, “It’s the economy first, followed by government corruption, as these are the issues impacting voters who are seeing rising prices when shopping.”
The North Carolina Senate race was projected to be highly competitive and expensive; however, Whatley lagged behind in polls, and Cooper’s lead grew progressively. Despite decreasing TV ads in support of Whatley by October, Trump and Vice President Vance campaigned in North Carolina to boost Republican voter turnout. These efforts, though impactful, did not turn the tide for Whatley’s campaign.
Senator Tillis previously announced he would not seek reelection in 2025 after facing threats of a primary challenger from Trump for his lack of support on a tax cut and spending bill. Rather than backing Whatley, Tillis has been focusing on his new book, which critiques fellow Republicans.
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