Outgoing Senator Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, warned that the battle for his seat will be a "knife fight in a telephone booth" as former Democratic North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper threw his name into the race on Monday.

Name recognition and experience are among his advantages, but Triad professors say his strategy in this race will need to be different than previous campaigns.

Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper Saturday night gave his strongest indication yet that he would seek an open U.S. Senate seat next year while speaking at a state Democratic Party event in Raleigh.