Democrat Cooper to face Republican Whatley in high stakes North Carolina Senate race

Record ID: 2361243

  • Title: Democrat Cooper to face Republican Whatley in high stakes North Carolina Senate race
  • Date: 4th March 2026
  • Summary: ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR AND DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR U.S. SENATOR, ROY COOPER, SAYING: “I'm humbled and excited to accept the Democratic nomination to become North Carolina's next United States senator.” WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR AND DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR U.S. SENATOR,
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  • Keywords: Midterms North Carolina Raleigh Roy Cooper elections primaries watch party
  • Location: RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, UNITED STATES
  • City: RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: US
  • Topics: North America,Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
  • Reuters ID: LVA002063704032026RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper will face off against Republican Michael Whatley in North Carolina's U.S. Senate race after they won their party's respective primary elections on Tuesday (March 3), setting up a marquee matchup for a crucial Senate seat in the swing state.
    “I'll be a strong independent senator who will work with this president when I can and stand up to him when the people need me to,” Cooper said at his watch party in Raleigh. “I will always, always put the people of North Carolina first before politics, before party.”
    Cooper, a popular moderate Democrat who has won multiple statewide races, and Whatley, a former Republican National Committee chairman endorsed by President Donald Trump, will vie for the seat being vacated by the retiring Republican Thom Tillis. The race is among a handful of Senate contests that will determine which party controls the chamber.
    The results of Tuesday's contests will begin to set the stage for November's general election, when all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate's 100 seats will be at stake. Voters in Arkansas also cast ballots on Tuesday.
    The elections take place days after the U.S. attacked Iran, a move that some White House aides privately worry could pose political risks for Trump and Republicans at a time when voters have made it clear they are more concerned with domestic issues, including affordability and immigration.
    (Production: Jayla Whitfield-Anderson, Alexandra Sarabia)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2026. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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