North Carolina Flips Blue in First Major Senate Shake-Up
Democrat Roy Cooper's victory delivers a vital seat, impacting the 53-47 Republican majority.
Callum Smith
Roy Cooper won the North Carolina Senate race.
Cooper outpaced Michael Whatley by a nine-point margin in the election's final days. Cooper's campaign raised approximately $20 million during the third quarter; Whatley's campaign raised about $2 million.
Whatley, a former Republican National Committee chair, holds no prior elective office experience. He, alongside Lara Trump, directed an election integrity campaign, mobilizing Republican volunteers and attorneys to observe polling during the 2024 presidential election.
Republicans attempted to link Cooper to violent crime, particularly in Charlotte. They also pressed conservative anxieties regarding transgender athletes and immigration. The Senate Leadership Fund redirected its spending away from Whatley's race.
Donald Trump carried North Carolina three times. North Carolina’s Republican-controlled legislature redrew the state’s congressional maps as part of a national push by Donald Trump for mid-decade redistricting.
Chuck Edwards, a US congressman from western North Carolina, announced he would not seek re-election. Jamie Ager campaigned by highlighting federal relief failures and capitalizing on Edwards' withdrawal.