Dem flips key Senate seat in battleground North Carolina as Cooper defeats Trump ally

Cooper’s seventh straight statewide win boosts Democratic hopes of recapturing the Senate majority in midterm elections

By Paul Steinhauser | Fox News
Published November 3, 2026 8:41pm EST | Updated November 3, 2026 8:47pm EST

Michael Whatley talks NC senate race and slams opponent Roy Cooper

North Carolina Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley discusses his campaign against Democrat Senate candidate Roy Cooper. Whatley slams Cooper’s gubernatorial record on crime and details GOP messaging. Whatley discusses crime and public safety, highlighting that over 560 released inmates were rearrested within two years.

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The Fox News Decision Desk projects former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina defeating former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Michael Whatley, a close ally of President Donald Trump.

The high-profile and expensive ballot box showdown gives Democrats another seat in the Senate as Cooper prepares to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis.

The race was projected as a victory for Cooper with 57.63 votes counted, with 66.40% going to the former Democratic governor and 31.96% going to Whatley.

“North Carolina — I’m grateful for your trust,” Cooper posted on X. “We have more in common than divides us. Here’s to building better days ahead!”

Cooper’s flipping of a GOP-controlled seat in the crucial southeastern battleground state boosts his party as Democrats aim to recapture the Senate majority in the midterm elections.

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Democratic U.S. Senate candidate former Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina thanks supporters after casting his ballot on the first day of early voting at John Chavis Memorial Park in Raleigh, N.C., on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026.(Allen G. Breed/AP Photo)

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee applauded Cooper’s victory.

“In the Senate, he’ll carry on the fight to expand health care access, make stuff cost less, and ensure the American Dream is achievable for every North Carolina,” the DSCC posted on X.

Cooper’s triumph in the Senate race was his seventh straight statewide victory, after winning four elections for attorney general and two for governor.

His continued solid lead over Whatley in public opinion polling spurred top GOP-aligned outside groups a month ago to pull the plug on spending in the North Carolina race. It was seen as a signal that Republicans no longer saw a path to victory in the southeastern battleground state.

Trump, during a rally two weeks ago in North Carolina to try and rescue Whatley, appeared to acknowledge the dire situation, remarking to the crowd that Cooper is “going to become your senator…It’s crazy, you’re going to send him to Washington to represent you.”

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President Donald Trump listens as North Carolina Republican U.S. Senate nominee Michael Whatley speaks at a campaign rally at Pitt–Greenville Airport, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, in Greenville, N.C.(Matt Ramey/AP Photo)

Cooper, the first Democrat to win a Senate election in North Carolina in nearly two decades, touted that he would be a “strong, independent senator” who would work with Trump when he could and stand up to him when needed. He focused on cost of living and health care issues as he campaigned for the Senate.

Whatley, a North Carolina native who served as the state’s GOP chair for five years before Trump picked him in March 2024 to serve as RNC chair, was a first-time candidate.

He pledged to create jobs, raise wages, lower costs and keep communities safe. Whatley also said he would be a Trump ally in the Senate.

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Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., talks with reporters in the U.S. Capitol on Friday, August 7, 2026.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Tillis, a vocal Republican Trump critic, announced in June of last year that he wouldn’t seek re-election, which the president called “great news.”

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After Tillis’ announcement, Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, was at the top of the president’s list for the open seat in the Tar Heel State.

But Lara Trump, a North Carolina native who served as RNC co-chair alongside Whatley in 2024, announced that “after much consideration and heartfelt discussions with my family, friends, and supporters, I have decided not to pursue the United States Senate seat in North Carolina at this time.”

Paul Steinhauser covers the national campaign trail from coast to coast for Fox News