Politics
Democrat Roy Cooper flips North Carolina US Senate seat
November 4, 2026 at 02:29 AM
3 reports
BNBBC News
Democrat Roy Cooper wins North Carolina Senate race, flipping seat from Republicans
(opens the publisher’s site)
AJAl Jazeera English
Democrat Roy Cooper flips North Carolina US Senate seat
(opens the publisher’s site)
TGThe Guardian
North Carolina voters elect Roy Cooper, state’s first Democratic senator in 10 years
(opens the publisher’s site)Roy Cooper defeated Republican Michael Whatley to become North Carolina's first Democratic US senator since 2008, flipping the seat held by outgoing Senator Thom Tillis.
- Cooper, a moderate former two-term governor, defeated Whatley, who previously chaired the Republican National Committee.
- He succeeds Tillis, who chose not to seek a third term after becoming a frequent critic of President Donald Trump.
- Cooper led Whatley in polling throughout the race, and the Senate Leadership Fund redirected its spending from North Carolina to the Kansas contest.
- Republicans also lost a western North Carolina congressional seat after Chuck Edwards declined to seek re-election.