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DemocratRunning for NC U.S. Senate · 2026
Roy Cooper
Former Governor of North Carolina
A four-term attorney general turned two-term governor, Cooper built a brand as a pragmatic Democrat who won statewide six times in a state Republicans usually carried at the top of the ticket. He leaned on vetoes and Medicaid expansion to govern opposite a Republican legislature, and now runs for the open Senate seat as his party's most-tested recruit of the cycle.
Born Jun 13, 1957 · Nashville, North CarolinaHome Raleigh, North CarolinaProfession Attorney
In brief
The most-tested Democrat on a 2026 map full of first-time candidates — six statewide wins, a veto-heavy record, and a favorability edge that has held as the Senate race nationalized.
49%
Polling average
our aggregate
87%
Win probability
market-implied
+11
Net favorability
latest public poll
$26.8M
Raised this cycle
FEC · committee
6 / 6
Statewide wins
statewide wins / statewide runs (4× attorney general, 2× governor)
Independence scorecard
Computed · FEC money mixWho Cooper's money comes from.
B+
75/100
Independence index
Funding mix leans independent — outside-money exposure is the standout.
0 watch items
Small-dollar reliance72
36% of individual + PAC money from donors under $200
PAC independence76
6% of individual + PAC money from PACs
In-state funding53
47% of itemized receipts come from out of state
Outside-money exposure100
$47k in outside spending supports the campaign
MONEY-MIX INDEX, COMPUTED FROM FEC FILINGS ONLY: SMALL-DOLLAR SHARE, PAC RELIANCE, IN-STATE MONEY AND OUTSIDE (IE) SPENDING. IT DOES NOT SCORE VOTES OR DONOR–VOTE ALIGNMENT. HIGHER = MORE INDEPENDENT · GREEN ≥70 · AMBER 50–69 · RED <50.
Governing & voting record
What Cooper did in office.
MeasureYearAction
Medicaid expansion
Signed March 2023 after a six-year push; more than 600,000 North Carolinians enrolled within the first year of coverage.
2023
Signed into law
HB2 “bathroom bill” repeal (HB142)
Made repeal a first-100-days priority; the compromise ended the bathroom provision but drew criticism for its moratorium on local nondiscrimination ordinances.
2017
Negotiated & signed
12-week abortion limit (SB20)
Veto overridden by the legislature's supermajority within days; Cooper campaigned against the limit statewide.
2023
Vetoed
Clean Energy Plan (Exec. Order 80)
Set 2025 targets — 40% emissions cut from 2005 levels, 80,000 zero-emission vehicles — and ordered a statewide Clean Energy Plan.
2018
Issued
Private-school voucher expansion (HB10)
Vetoed the ~$463M Opportunity Scholarship expansion in September 2024; the legislature overrode it that November.
2024
Vetoed
Voter-ID implementing law (SB824)
Veto overridden; the law spent years in litigation before taking effect.
2018
Vetoed
Hurricane Florence & Helene recovery
Presided over recovery from two of the costliest storms in state history, bookending his two terms.
2018–’24
Led response
AS GOVERNOR, COOPER FACED A REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE FOR ALL EIGHT YEARS · 104 VETOES ISSUED, 52 OVERRIDDEN — BOTH THE MOST OF ANY NC GOVERNOR SINCE THE VETO WAS CREATED IN 1997 · SOURCE: NC GENERAL ASSEMBLY RECORDS.
How they vote
—
No party-unity or ideology scores
Party-unity and DW-NOMINATE ideology scores are only available for candidates with a congressional roll-call record.
Ratings from advocacy groups
—
No advocacy-group ratings
Interest-group scorecards have no machine-readable feed — they're curated per candidate, and none are on file yet.
Career & history
1986NC House of Representatives
Won his first seat representing Nash County.
1991NC State Senate
Appointed to a vacant seat, then elected; rose to Senate Majority Leader.
2000Attorney General of North Carolina
Elected; served four terms across 16 years.
2016Governor of North Carolina
Unseated incumbent Pat McCrory by 10,277 votes.
2020Re-elected Governor
Won by ~4.5 points as Trump carried the state.
2025Term-limited out of office
Left office with net-positive favorability.
2026U.S. Senate candidate
Running for the seat opened by Thom Tillis's retirement.
Signature record
The moments that define the record.
Medicaid expansion2023
Signature win
The defining domestic achievement of his governorship — a bipartisan deal after years of stalemate, covering 600,000+ people in its first year.
HB2 repeal2017
First-year fight
Made repealing the “bathroom bill” a centerpiece of his first months, defusing a national boycott of the state.
Record vetoes2017–’24
Governing style
Issued 104 vetoes against a Republican legislature — 52 overridden — the through-line of eight years governing from the minority.
Six statewide wins2000–’20
Electoral record
Won attorney general four times and governor twice; he has never lost a statewide race.
Public favorability
49.8%
Favorable
38.5%
Unfavorable
+11
Net
11.7% HAVE NO OPINION OR HAVEN'T HEARD ENOUGH · CAROLINA JOURNAL / HARPER POLLING · MAY 2026 · N=600 LV · ±4.0PP
Favorability over time
Jul ’25NET FAVORABLE ↑May ’26
Jul ’25 · Emerson College51 / 33
Sep ’25 · High Point University47 / 34
Jan ’26 · High Point University44 / 34
Mar ’26 · Elon University48 / 34
May ’26 · Carolina Journal / Harper49.8 / 38.5
READINGS BELOW COME FROM DIFFERENT POLLSTERS AND MODES — READ THE NET TREND, NOT LEVEL SHIFTS BETWEEN HOUSES.
Donors & money
FEC itemized filings · cycle-to-dateWho funds the campaign.
$26.8M
Raised
$8.4M
Spent
$18.5M
Cash on hand
Source of funds · individual + PAC
36% small (<$200)58% large indiv.6% PAC
53% in-state · 47% out-of-state (itemized)
Top contributors · bundled by employer / org
DUKE UNIVERSITY
$115k
UNC CHAPEL HILL
$46k
KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK LLP
$40k
JANE STREET CAPITAL
$35k
LIEFF CABRASER HEIMANN & BERNSTEIN LLP
$34k
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
$33k
Top industries · itemized $
Education$115k
Lawyers / law firms$105k
Securities & investment$35k
Govt employees$33k
TV / movies / music$22k
OWN-COMMITTEE TOTALS FROM FEC FILINGS THROUGH 2026-03-31 · INDUSTRY GROUPS ARE ITEMIZED RECEIPTS CLASSIFIED BY EMPLOYER — A KEYWORD APPROXIMATION, NOT OPENSECRETS CODING. SOURCE: FEC ↗
Race
The contest Cooper is running in.
NC · SENATE · 2026likely d
Cooper (D) vs Michael Whatley (R)
49%+9.6 Cooper39.4%
Open full race detail →
Related prediction markets
All markets →Live contract prices tied to Cooper and the seat. Prices are ¢-per-share of the YES outcome; context only, never merged into our polling averages.
Will the Democrats win the North Carolina Senate race in 2026?
Polymarket · Roy Cooper (D)
Will the Republicans win the North Carolina Senate race in 2026?
Polymarket · Michael Whatley (R)
Which party will win the 2026 US Senate election in North Carolina?
predictit · Democratic Party
Which party will win the 2026 US Senate election in North Carolina?
predictit · Republican Party
North Carolina Senate winner?
Kalshi · vol $4k · Michael Whatley
North Carolina Senate winner?
Kalshi · vol $3k · Roy Cooper
Sources & provenance
Biography
Public record
Wikipedia + state records
Record
Editorial, sourced
official acts + press record
Money & donors
FEC filings
itemized + committee totals
Favorability
Published polls
Carolina Journal / Harper Polling · May 2026 · n=600 LV · ±4.0pp
Markets
Live venues
Polymarket · Kalshi
ALL FIGURES DRAWN FROM PUBLICLY AVAILABLE RECORDS · CANDIDATE PROFILES ARE NONPARTISAN AND CARRY NO ENDORSEMENT. · PHOTO: NCDOTCOMMUNICATIONS · CC BY 2.0 (WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)
Related coverage
sri.siena.edu · 2026-07-01
New York Times/Siena Polls in Alaska, Iowa, North Carolina, and Ohio
nbcnews.com · 2026-06-25
Michael Whatley’s Michigan roots largely disappear from his bio as he runs for Senate in North Carolina
spectrumlocalnews.com · 2026-06-25
Survey finds Roy Cooper continues to hold double digit lead in N.C. Senate race
wcnc.com · 2026-06-25
New poll shows Roy Cooper leading Michael Whatley by 14 points in North Carolina US Senate race
Democrat · NC U.S. Senate
Roy Cooper
Former Governor of North Carolina
A four-term attorney general turned two-term governor, Cooper built a brand as a pragmatic Democrat who won statewide six times in a state Republicans usually carried at the top of the ticket. He leaned on vetoes and Medicaid expansion to govern opposite a Republican legislature, and now runs for the open Senate seat as his party's most-tested recruit of the cycle.
Where Cooper standsRace →
Cooper 49%Michael Whatley 39.4%
Market · wins
87¢
+11 net fav
49%
Poll avg
87%
Win prob
+11
Net fav
$26.8M
Raised
6 / 6
Statewide wins
In brief
The most-tested Democrat on a 2026 map full of first-time candidates — six statewide wins, a veto-heavy record, and a favorability edge that has held as the Senate race nationalized.
Governing & voting record
Medicaid expansion
2023 · SIGNED INTO LAW
HB2 “bathroom bill” repeal (HB142)
2017 · NEGOTIATED & SIGNED
12-week abortion limit (SB20)
2023 · VETOED
Clean Energy Plan (Exec. Order 80)
2018 · ISSUED
Private-school voucher expansion (HB10)
2024 · VETOED
Voter-ID implementing law (SB824)
2018 · VETOED
Hurricane Florence & Helene recovery
2018–’24 · LED RESPONSE
Where Cooper stands
Abortion
Opposes the state 12-week limit he vetoed; supports restoring Roe-era protections.
Economy & health care
Ran on Medicaid expansion and rural broadband; touts the state's manufacturing recruitment record.
Guns
Has called for universal background checks and red-flag laws.
Voting & democracy
Vetoed the 2018 voter-ID implementing law and fought the legislature's redistricting maps in court.
Career & history
1986NC House of Representatives
Won his first seat representing Nash County.
1991NC State Senate
Appointed to a vacant seat, then elected; rose to Senate Majority Leader.
2000Attorney General of North Carolina
Elected; served four terms across 16 years.
2016Governor of North Carolina
Unseated incumbent Pat McCrory by 10,277 votes.
2020Re-elected Governor
Won by ~4.5 points as Trump carried the state.
2025Term-limited out of office
Left office with net-positive favorability.
2026U.S. Senate candidate
Running for the seat opened by Thom Tillis's retirement.
Public favorability
49.8%
Favorable
38.5%
Unfavorable
+11
Net
11.7% HAVE NO OPINION OR HAVEN'T HEARD ENOUGH · CAROLINA JOURNAL / HARPER POLLING · MAY 2026 · N=600 LV · ±4.0PP
Favorability over time
Jul ’25NET FAVORABLE ↑May ’26
Jul ’25 · Emerson College51 / 33
Sep ’25 · High Point University47 / 34
Jan ’26 · High Point University44 / 34
Mar ’26 · Elon University48 / 34
May ’26 · Carolina Journal / Harper49.8 / 38.5
READINGS BELOW COME FROM DIFFERENT POLLSTERS AND MODES — READ THE NET TREND, NOT LEVEL SHIFTS BETWEEN HOUSES.
Independence scorecard
Who Cooper's money comes from.
B+
75/100
Independence index
Funding mix leans independent — outside-money exposure is the standout.
0 watch items
Small-dollar reliance72
36% of individual + PAC money from donors under $200
PAC independence76
6% of individual + PAC money from PACs
In-state funding53
47% of itemized receipts come from out of state
Outside-money exposure100
$47k in outside spending supports the campaign
MONEY-MIX INDEX, COMPUTED FROM FEC FILINGS ONLY: SMALL-DOLLAR SHARE, PAC RELIANCE, IN-STATE MONEY AND OUTSIDE (IE) SPENDING. IT DOES NOT SCORE VOTES OR DONOR–VOTE ALIGNMENT. HIGHER = MORE INDEPENDENT · GREEN ≥70 · AMBER 50–69 · RED <50.
How they vote
—
No party-unity or ideology scores
Party-unity and DW-NOMINATE ideology scores are only available for candidates with a congressional roll-call record.
Ratings from advocacy groups
—
No advocacy-group ratings
Interest-group scorecards have no machine-readable feed — they're curated per candidate, and none are on file yet.
Donors & money
$26.8M
Raised
$8.4M
Spent
$18.5M
Cash on hand
Source of funds · individual + PAC
36% small (<$200)58% large indiv.6% PAC
53% in-state · 47% out-of-state (itemized)
Top industries · itemized $
Education$115k
Lawyers / law firms$105k
Securities & investment$35k
Govt employees$33k
TV / movies / music$22k
OWN-COMMITTEE TOTALS FROM FEC FILINGS THROUGH 2026-03-31 · INDUSTRY GROUPS ARE ITEMIZED RECEIPTS CLASSIFIED BY EMPLOYER — A KEYWORD APPROXIMATION, NOT OPENSECRETS CODING. SOURCE: FEC ↗
Related prediction markets
All markets →Will the Democrats win the North Carolina Senate race in 2026?
Polymarket · Roy Cooper (D)
Will the Republicans win the North Carolina Senate race in 2026?
Polymarket · Michael Whatley (R)
Which party will win the 2026 US Senate election in North Carolina?
predictit · Democratic Party
Which party will win the 2026 US Senate election in North Carolina?
predictit · Republican Party
North Carolina Senate winner?
Kalshi · vol $4k · Michael Whatley
North Carolina Senate winner?
Kalshi · vol $3k · Roy Cooper
Sources & provenance
Biography
Public record
Wikipedia + state records
Record
Editorial, sourced
official acts + press record
Money & donors
FEC filings
itemized + committee totals
Favorability
Published polls
Carolina Journal / Harper Polling · May 2026 · n=600 LV · ±4.0pp
Markets
Live venues
Polymarket · Kalshi
ALL FIGURES DRAWN FROM PUBLICLY AVAILABLE RECORDS · CANDIDATE PROFILES ARE NONPARTISAN AND CARRY NO ENDORSEMENT. · PHOTO: NCDOTCOMMUNICATIONS · CC BY 2.0 (WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)