Roy Cooper

U.S. Senator-elect from North Carolina; former Governor of North Carolina

Won

Former Gov. Roy Cooper won North Carolina's open U.S. Senate seat 58.7% to Republican Michael Whatley's 39.1% on Nov. 3, 2026 (AP data via NBC News), flipping the seat held by retiring Sen. Thom Tillis.

2026 race

U.S. Senate, North Carolina

Cooper58.7%
Whatley39.1%

Result Won Won (flip): Cooper 58.7%, Whatley 39.1%

Source: nbcnews.com

Biography

Cooper, 69, was governor of North Carolina from 2017 to 2025 and state attorney general from 2001 to 2017, after serving in both chambers of the state legislature. Whatley is a former chair of the Republican National Committee.

Record

Governor of North Carolina (2017–2025)
North Carolina Attorney General (2001–2017)

Life & background

Things you might not know, from public records.

His nearly 16 years as attorney general are the longest tenure in North Carolina history. [Source]

Coverage

No articles yet.

Sources

2026 Senate Results: Democrats retake control NBC News (AP data)
2026 Senate midterm election results as Democrats win control CBS News
Roy Cooper – Wikipedia Wikipedia

Updated 2026-11-04