Former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper will run for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina, giving Democrats a proven statewide winner in an open-seat race that is expected to be one of

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.