Roy Cooper Defeats Michael Whatley in North Carolina Senate Race

Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper is projected to win the state's 2026 US Senate election, defeating Republican Michael Whatley in a contest that could influence control of Congress. Results released after polls closed Tuesday, November 3, showed Cooper leading with 65.3% of the vote, according to NBC News.

Whatley received 33.0%, while Libertarian candidate Shannon Bray secured 0.9%. The reported statewide vote total reached 2,398,288, according to NBC News' election results.

The victory would make Cooper the first Democrat to win a North Carolina Senate seat since 2008, according to WRAL. The seat became available following the retirement of Republican Senator Thom Tillis.

Cooper entered the race with a strong electoral record, having won six statewide elections, including gubernatorial victories in 2016 and 2020. State term limits prevented him from seeking another gubernatorial term.

Whatley, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, received President Donald Trump's endorsement and emphasized his relationship with the president during the campaign, according to NBC News.

Democrats viewed the contest as an important opportunity to expand their Senate representation. According to WRAL, the party needed to flip four Senate seats nationwide to regain control of the chamber.

Election Day operations across North Carolina experienced technical disruptions in several locations, prompting officials to investigate polling delays and consider extending voting hours.

The North Carolina State Board of Elections monitored minor technical problems in four counties, including Wilson, where voters experienced delays at Vinson-Bynum Elementary School. Additional disruptions were reported in Lenoir and Hertford counties.

Jason Tyson, a spokesperson for the North Carolina State Board of Elections, confirmed that officials were investigating the situation at the Wilson polling location.

"Our elections administration team is speaking to the county to see if there's an issue at the Vinson-Bynum Elementary School right now," Tyson told WRAL.

The board scheduled an emergency meeting for 2 p.m. Tuesday to review reported problems and consider recommendations for extending voting hours. Tyson explained that the emergency designation was used to satisfy public notice requirements and was part of routine Election Day procedures.

Most polling locations closed at 7:30 p.m. However, several precincts received additional voting time because of earlier technical difficulties. The Recreation Center in Wilson, located at 500 Sunset Road NW, remained open for an additional 15 minutes.

WRAL initially reported that election results could be delayed until 8:30 p.m. as officials assessed the affected locations. By 3 p.m., the expected delay had been revised to at least 45 minutes, with early voting results scheduled for release at approximately 8:15 p.m.

Early voting results began appearing around 8:25 p.m., according to WRAL's live election coverage. The delays followed the extension of voting hours at several affected precincts.

Beyond the Senate contest, North Carolina voters also decided races for the US House of Representatives, all 170 seats in the state legislature, a position on the state Supreme Court, and numerous local offices.

The congressional contests included a closely watched race involving Democratic Representative Don Davis and Republican Laurie Buckhout, alongside other competitive House districts that could influence the balance of power in Washington.