NC-SEN: Roy Cooper to jump into North Carolina Senate race Monday [View all]
Roy Cooper is expected to announce his campaign for the North Carolina Senate as soon as Monday, according to two people directly familiar with the former governor’s decision.
The popular, former two-term governor’s entrance into the Senate race — for a seat Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is leaving open with his announcement last month that he won’t seek reelection — is likely to transform the Senate race into the most competitive of 2026. Democrats, facing a difficult path to seizing control of the Senate next year, landed their dream recruit with Cooper, who would enter the race as a favorite.
North Carolina represents one of the few offensive opportunities for Democrats, who are locked out of power at every level in Washington.
Lara Trump, President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law, is considering her own bid for the seat. Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley, who served as the head of the state’s party, is also interested but is deferring to Trump, POLITICO reported last month.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/23/roy-cooper-to-jump-into-north-carolina-senate-race-monday-00471153
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