Candidate
Democrat
Roy Cooper
Former North Carolina governor · 2017–2025
A former attorney general and two-term governor, Cooper is running for Senate with plans to lower food, health care, energy and housing costs.
North Carolina Senate · 2026 · Candidate comparison
Roy Cooper vs. Michael Whatley
An open Senate seat. Two competing directions on costs, health care, public safety, and the state's role in Washington.
At a glance
The candidates in this race.
VS
Candidate
Republican
Michael Whatley
Former RNC chair · first-time candidate for office
A former North Carolina GOP and Republican National Committee chair running as President Trump's endorsed candidate for the open Senate seat.
Where they stand
Where they differ.
Cooper
Target grocery, housing, utility, child-care, and health-care costs through his 'Make Stuff Cost Less' agenda.
01
What should Washington do about everyday costs?
Whatley
Emphasize reliable energy and reining in federal spending as the foundation of an America First economy.
Cooper
Restore ACA tax credits, reverse Medicaid cuts, expand drug-price negotiation, and tackle surprise bills.
02
What is the health-care agenda?
Whatley
His campaign foregrounds the Trump agenda and conservative values, including a pledge to 'protect life.'
Cooper
A public-health approach to violence prevention alongside firearm-safety education and state coordination.
03
What does public safety mean?
Whatley
Roll back cashless bail, support law enforcement, and pair public safety with tougher immigration enforcement.
Cooper
A former governor whose campaign argues for lower costs and a willingness to work across party lines.
04
Who should North Carolina send to Washington?
Whatley
A former national Republican Party chair pledging to enact the president's agenda in the Senate.
Policy priorities.
Roy Cooper
DemocratLower grocery prices
Supports blocking anticompetitive grocery mergers and banning personalized pricing algorithms and digital price coordination.
Affordable health insurance
Supports restoring enhanced ACA tax credits, reversing Medicaid cuts and improving oversight of insurance denials.
Prescription drugs and medical bills
Supports broader Medicare drug-price negotiations, annual prescription-cost caps and automatic enrollment in hospital charity care.
Data centers and utility bills
Supports making data centers pay their full power costs, modernizing the grid and banning shutoffs during dangerous heat or cold.
Affordable child care
Supports expanded child-care tax credits, better-paid care workers and employer incentives for on-site care or subsidies.
Housing construction and competition
Supports more multifamily and modular homes, limits on large corporate homebuyers and a ban on coordinated rent-pricing software.
Michael Whatley
RepublicanTrump agenda
Pledges to advance President Trump's 'America First' agenda in the Senate.
Public safety
Calls for rolling back cashless bail policies and backing law enforcement.
Immigration
Supports Trump's border agenda and deportation of people he describes as criminal undocumented immigrants.
Energy & spending
Frames a stronger economy around reliable energy and reduced federal spending.
The backgrounds
Public careers.
Roy Cooper
North Carolina attorney general
Led the state’s legal office and pursued consumer-protection cases before becoming governor.
2017–2025
North Carolina governor
Served two terms leading North Carolina.
March 2023
Signed Medicaid expansion
Signed bipartisan House Bill 76 into law to expand Medicaid eligibility in North Carolina.
Michael Whatley
After 2016
Trump transition work
Led the Trump transition's energy, environment, and agriculture teams, according to his campaign biography.
2019–2024
North Carolina GOP chair
Led the state Republican Party before moving to the national party.
2024–2025
Republican National Committee chair
Served as RNC chair after Trump selected him for the position.
2026
First campaign for public office
Became the Republican nominee in his first bid for elected office.
The record.
Roy Cooper
DemocratPolicy choice
A health-care-first economic agenda
Cooper's campaign makes health care, food, housing, utility bills, and child care central to its affordability agenda.
Why it matters: A campaign choice that puts cost-of-living policy at the center of his case for the Senate.
Documented outcome
Medicaid expansion became a central part of his record
Medicaid expansion launched in North Carolina in 2023 during Cooper's administration; his campaign cites it as a major health-care accomplishment.
Why it matters: A concrete governing record that supporters and critics can evaluate through enrollment, cost, and coverage outcomes.
Michael Whatley
RepublicanPolicy choice
Explicitly running to enact Trump's agenda
Whatley's campaign says he is committed to advancing Trump's America First agenda, and he is Trump's endorsed nominee.
Why it matters: A clear alignment voters can weigh against Cooper's stated goal of working with, but also standing up to, the president.
Documented outcome
A prayer at an event featuring Whatley drew scrutiny
A registered sex offender who had served prison sentences for offenses involving children delivered the opening prayer at an August event featuring Whatley. Whatley's campaign said it neither planned nor organized the event and did not invite the guests.
Why it matters: The incident became a campaign issue. The report does not say Whatley knew the pastor or arranged the appearance.
Documented outcome
Oil-and-gas lobbying is part of his public record
Before party leadership, Whatley worked in oil-and-gas advocacy and co-founded a firm that lobbied on energy issues, according to the Associated Press.
Why it matters: This is not an allegation of wrongdoing; it is relevant context for his energy and industry positions.
Sources.
- 01Roy Cooper campaign
- 02Campaign biography
- 03Campaign priorities
- 04Campaign priorities
- 05Campaign priorities
- 06Campaign priorities
- 07Campaign priorities
- 08National Governors Association
- 09Governor’s law-signing announcement
- 10North Carolina historical records
- 11Roy Cooper campaign - Make Stuff Cost Less
- 12Roy Cooper - governor accomplishments
- 13Michael Whatley campaign - issues
- 14Associated Press - 2026 North Carolina Senate race overview
- 15Associated Press - prayer at event featuring Whatley
- 16Associated Press - Whatley's oil-and-gas lobbying record
- 17Roy Cooper campaign - health-care plan
- 18Associated Press - 2026 North Carolina Senate race overview
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