Politics

Cooper projected to flip North Carolina senate seat from Republicans

CBS News projects Democrat Roy Cooper defeated Michael Whatley, succeeding retiring Republican Thom Tillis in North Carolina.

Published Nov 4, 2026 · 03:48 UTC3 reports

The short version

CBS News projects Democrat Roy Cooper defeated Republican Michael Whatley in the North Carolina Senate race.[CBS News]
The result is a CBS News projection, in a race for the seat of retiring Republican Thom Tillis.[CBS News]
Whatley, 58, has never held elected office, while Cooper, 69, previously served as attorney general and governor.[Associated Press]
Mid-October FEC filings showed Cooper raised $47.2 million for the cycle, compared with $13.7 million for Whatley.[The Washington Sun]

CBS News projects that Democrat Roy Cooper defeated Republican Michael Whatley in the North Carolina Senate race, succeeding retiring Republican Thom Tillis.[CBS News]
Michael Whatley, 58, is a former state and national party chair who has never held elected office.[Associated Press]
Roy Cooper, 69, previously won four terms as North Carolina attorney general and two terms as governor.[Associated Press]
Mid-October FEC filings show Whatley raised $13.7 million over the two-year cycle, while Cooper raised $47.2 million overall.[The Washington Sun]

Cooper's win is a projection, not a certified result, and the reporting does not describe official certification.[The Washington Sun · CBS News]
The Associated Press preview describes the race as pending and predates the reported projection.[Associated Press]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.