A new poll of the North Carolina Senate election points to a close race between former Governor Roy Cooper and Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley in what is likely to be one of the most competitive of the 2026 midterms.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley is running for North Carolina’s open U.S. Senate seat, entering what’s shaping up to be one of the most competitive and consequential races of the 2026 election cycle.

Michael Whatley, Trump's Republican National Committee co-chairman, has decided to run for Senator Thom Tillis' soon-to-be-vacated seat, according to the Federal Election Commission filing.