Roy Cooper leads Michael Whatley in North Carolina Senate race

Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper is showing a lead in the race for the state’s Senate seat, according to recent polling. The seat will be open following the retirement of Republican Senator Thom Tillis.

An Elon University poll conducted in late July shows Cooper leading Republican Michael Whatley by 11 percentage points among likely voters, with 53% support for Cooper compared to 42% for Whatley. Among all registered voters, Cooper holds 51% to Whatley’s 35%. The survey notes that Cooper maintains significantly higher name recognition, with 84% of registered voters reporting they have heard of him, while only 53% have heard of Whatley.

Other polling data from Carolina Forward indicates a narrower 7-point gap, placing Cooper at 50% and Whatley at 43% among likely voters. The race is viewed as a significant contest, as North Carolina has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 2008.