Former Governor Roy Cooper launched his campaign for the Senate in North Carolina in 2026
Cooper was one of the names most coveted by the Democratic leadership, who believe he can win the seat now held by Thom Tillis
Cooper during an event in Raleigh/ Ryan M. Kelly.
Roy Cooper announced his candidacy for the Senate in North Carolina. The popular former governor will seek to retain the seat currently held by Thom Tillis, who opted not to seek a third term in the Senate. Cooper is one of the key Democratic leadership recruits heading into the midterm elections.
With a hopeful tone and focusing on his previous experience as governor and attorney general, Cooper made his intentions public through a video posted on his social media. Shortly after his announcement, Congressman Wiley Nickel withdrew his candidacy.
The now-former governor was briefly in the national spotlight in mid-2024, as speculation arose that he might be a competitive choice for Kamala Harris' running mate. However, he opted to rule his name out.
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"Right now, our country is facing a moment as fragile as any I can remember, and the decisions we make in the next election will determine if we even have a middle class in America anymore. I never really wanted to go to Washington. I just wanted to serve the people of North Carolina, right here where I’ve lived all my life. But these are not ordinary times," the Democrat said.
"I've thought on it and prayed about it, and I've decided I wanna serve as your next United States senator because even now, I still believe our best days are ahead of us," he added.
After serving about 10 years in the North Carolina legislature, first as a representative and then as a senator, Cooper became the state's attorney general in 2001.
In 2016, he was elected as the state's governor, defeating incumbent Pat McCrory by a margin of less than one percentage point. He won re-election in 2020, expanding his margin to 4.5 points.
As a peculiarity, Cooper won both times sharing a ballot with Donald Trump.
The former governor was one of the most coveted recruits of the Democratic leadership, who see North Carolina as the best chance to snatch a seat from the Republican Party in 2026. This race is expected to be one of the most expensive of the midterm elections.
Republican response to Cooper's candidacy
"North Carolina wants a senator who will champion working families, safety, and American values, not an incompetent, far-left career politician like Cooper who will wreck everything they care about," Joanna Rodriguez, communications director for the NRSC, said. The NRSC is responsible for increasing the number of Republicans in the Senate and retaining incumbents in their respective seats.
As for the GOP candidate, Michael Whatley will announce his campaign in the coming days. Following Lara Trump's refusal, the current Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman is the best-positioned to take the Republican nomination.
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