Cooper Holds Lead Over Whatley in North Carolina Senate Polls

Overview

• Multiple recent surveys show Democrat Roy Cooper leading Republican Michael Whatley by roughly 7 to 11 percentage points in the open U.S. Senate race.
• An Elon University poll of 800 North Carolina adults found Cooper at 53% and Whatley at 42% among likely voters with a reported likely‑voter margin of error of about 5.6 points.
• The Elon poll measured name recognition and found familiarity with Whatley climbed from about 35% in March to roughly 53% in July while Cooper’s recognition stayed high near 84%.
• GOP-aligned groups have started multi‑million dollar ad activity to boost Whatley, who is endorsed by President Trump and who has not previously held elected office.
• Pollsters say the combination of rising recognition, targeted ads and how independents break could tighten the race before November for the seat being vacated by Sen. Thom Tillis.