Summary
- Roy Cooper plans to run for retiring GOP Senator Thom
Tillis’s North Carolina seat in 2026. - Cooper served as NC governor (2017-2025) and held state
legislative and attorney general roles. - Tillis’s retirement opens a key swing state Senate
race. - Race is crucial for Senate control; Republicans seek a
strong candidate. - Democrats view Cooper as their best chance to flip the
seat.
After winning elections in 2016 and 2020, the
68-year-old Democrat was elected governor from 2017 until 2025. Cooper held
positions in the state House and Senate before becoming governor. He also
served as the state attorney general for 16 years.
Cooper was a candidate to run alongside Kamala
Harris in the 2024 presidential election, but he resigned, claiming that it
“wasn’t the right time” to run. In the end, Donald Trump defeated
Harris.
Republican Thom Tillis, who said on June 29 that he will not seek reelection, presently holds the
U.S. Senate seat that Cooper is rumored to run for. A Democratic opponent can
now enter the race since Tillis decided not to run again, and Cooper has
entered the race in an attempt to win the seat. Who Republicans will run for
Tillis’ seat is still up in the air. Cooper has not declared that he will run.
The Senate majority may be shaped by the contest
for North Carolina, a crucial swing state in the general election of 2024. Ted
Budd, the other senator from North Carolina, is a Republican, much like Tillis.
In 2028, Budd will be up for reelection.
Republicans have a majority in both chambers of
Congress ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, defeating Democrats by a margin
of 219–212 in the House and 53–45 in the Senate.
How will Cooper’s entry impact the North
Carolina Senate race dynamics?
Cooper is considered the “top recruit”
for Democrats, and his decision to run is expected to “clear the
field” and prevent a divisive primary on the Democratic side . Other
potential Democratic candidates have reportedly held off out of deference to
him, and existing candidates like former Rep. Wiley Nickel will now face a
formidable challenge .
Cooper is a popular two-term former governor
with strong statewide name recognition and a proven track record of winning
elections in a swing state . His entry “bolsters their chances of flipping
a critical seat from Republicans” and is seen by Democrats as their
“most tantalizing pickup opportunity” on a challenging Senate map .
Democrats anticipate that Cooper’s candidacy
will “open up donor money that could radically transform what’s
possible” in terms of campaign funding, drawing “unprecedented”
national cash into the North Carolina race.
