All 2026 races in North Carolina (Governor, Senate and House) →
General Election
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roy Cooper ✓ | Democratic | 2,481,056 | 58.8% | |
| Michael Whatley | Republican | 1,648,965 | 39.0% | |
| Shannon Bray | Libertarian | 56,092 | 1.3% | |
| Michael Dublin | Green | 36,716 | 0.9% |
As of 11:01 PM ET, Thu Nov 12.
Primary
Democratic Primary
Held March 3, 2026.
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roy Cooper ✓ | 761,345 | 97.4% | |
| Marcus Williams | 20,336 | 2.6% |
Republican Primary
Held March 3, 2026.
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Whatley ✓ | 405,140 | 68.8% | |
| Don Brown | 97,891 | 16.6% | |
| Thomas Johnson | 35,534 | 6.0% | |
| Michele Morrow | 35,065 | 6.0% | |
| Margot Dupre | 14,886 | 2.5% |
Full calendar and every race: North Carolina primary guide
Race Overview
General Election Polling Trend
Showing the published average. The rating above uses this figure.
The right edge is that same average of the last three polls. This is an average, not a forecast.
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Candidates
Certified write-ins: Michele Palmer Parks.
General Election Polling Average
LV = likely voters · RV = registered voters · ± = margin of error · R-sponsored / D-sponsored / I-sponsored = paid for by a Republican, Democratic, or Independent group · "missed 2024 by X pts" = that firm's average miss in 2024
Average is the unweighted mean of the last three scientific public polls. Fewer than three uses the polls that exist. The rating uses that average when the newest poll ended in the last 30 days. The table lists the polls in that average, plus the most recent 30 days or the newest 3 polls, whichever is more — subscribe for the full history. How accurate is each pollster? →
| Pollster | Date | Sample | MoE | Dem | Rep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Carolina U. missed 2024 by 1.3 pts In average | 2026-10-29 this poll | 1041 LV | ±3.50 | Roy Cooper 54.00% | Michael Whatley 45.00% |
| YouGov In average | 2026-10-29 this poll | 2130 LV | ±2.90 | Roy Cooper 55.00% | Michael Whatley 44.00% |
| Quantus Insights R-sponsored In average | 2026-10-25 this poll | 722 LV | ±4.00 | Roy Cooper 51.40% | Michael Whatley 42.80% |
| RedBox Research (D) Not in average | 2026-10-23 this poll | 3292 LV | ±3.70 | Roy Cooper 50.00% | Michael Whatley 43.00% |
| High Point University Not in average | 2026-10-20 this poll | 620 LV | ±4.70 | Roy Cooper 54.00% | Michael Whatley 40.00% |
| Carolina Journal/Harper R-sponsored Not in average | 2026-10-20 this poll | 600 LV | ±4.00 | Roy Cooper 49.00% | Michael Whatley 39.00% |
| ActiVote Not in average | 2026-10-20 this poll | 400 LV | ±4.90 | Roy Cooper 56.90% | Michael Whatley 43.10% |
Questions About This Race
Who won the 2026 North Carolina Senate race?
Roy Cooper (D) won the 2026 North Carolina Senate race — the seat was called on November 12, 2026.
What does the latest poll of the 2026 North Carolina Senate race say?
The most recent poll in our average, from East Carolina U. (completed October 29, 2026), found Roy Cooper (D) at 54% and Michael Whatley (R) at 45%.
When is the 2026 North Carolina Senate race decided?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
How is the PollingSource average calculated?
The PollingSource average is the unweighted mean of the last three scientific public polls, or fewer when fewer exist. One poll sets the rating when it ended in the last 30 days. We do not exclude pollsters. The table lists recent polls, including ones older than those three. Full details: pollingsource.com/methodology.
Race Notes
Tillis retiring
Independent Expenditures Updated 12 hours ago
Top Spenders
- SLF PAC GOP-aligned $29,825,974
- NO GOING BACK PAC INC. GOP-aligned $8,732,628
- AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY ACTION, INC. (AFP ACTION) DBA CVA ACTION AND DBA LIBRE ACTION GOP-aligned $1,611,573
- NC FIRST PAC GOP-aligned $1,200,000
- PLANNED PARENTHOOD VOTES NORTH CAROLINA Dem-aligned $1,108,000
- AB PAC Dem-aligned $881,982
- PROGRESS NORTH CAROLINA ACTION Dem-aligned $765,310
- CFFE PAC Dem-aligned $296,141
- MOMSRISING TOGETHER Dem-aligned $226,261
- CARE IN ACTION PAC Dem-aligned $180,708
Full outside-spending research — every committee, every race →
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