Democrats Get the Candidate They Wanted in North Carolina

Former Gov. Roy Cooper has decided to run for the US Senate in North Carolina, giving Democrats a proven statewide winner in an open-seat race that is expected to be one of the most competitive 2026 elections. Cooper made the announcement Monday with a video released on social media and his campaign website that stressed protecting the middle class. The former two-term governor will immediately become the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination in the race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, the AP reports.

• The other side: Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley plans to run for the GOP nomination, with President Trump's blessing, two people familiar with his thinking told the AP. The former North Carolina GOP chairman received Trump's endorsement after Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law, decided against running. "The president posted last week that "Mike would make an unbelievable Senator from North Carolina."
• Democratic relief: Cooper's candidacy is a big recruiting win for Democrats, who see the seat as a top pick-up opportunity in a state now dominated by Republicans. He's been on statewide ballots going back a quarter-century—serving 16 years as attorney general before being first elected governor in 2016. Cooper "is one of the best champions North Carolina has ever had, and we are confident he will flip this seat in 2026," state Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton said in a release. Current Democratic Gov. Josh Stein also endorsed Cooper on Monday.

• The challenge: To retake the Senate majority in 2026, Democrats need to net four seats, and most of the contests are in states that Trump easily won last year. Trump took North Carolina by about 3 percentage points, one of his closest winning margins.
• Issues: Cooper, 68, said in his video that the middle class is in danger of being eliminated in America. With no mention of Trump, Cooper said "politicians in DC" are "running up our debt, ripping away our health care," and "cutting help for the poor," even as they "give tax breaks to billionaires." He added: "That's wrong. And I've had enough."
• Another Democrat: Former US Rep. Wiley Nickel has been campaigning for the Democratic nomination for months. Reached by phone, Nickel said he would release on Tuesday a statement about his political future. State Democrats anticipate that Nickel will step aside. Party primaries are scheduled for March 3.