Dem Roy Cooper leads RNC Chairman Michael Whatley by 6 points in North Carolina Senate race: poll

Roy Cooper has higher name recognition than Michael Whatley, as 51% of voters have a favorable view of the former governor, compared to 36% who are unfamiliar with the RNC chairman

By Natalia Mittelstadt

Published: August 1, 2025 10:16am

Former North Carolina Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper leads Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley by six points in the 2026 Senate race, according to a poll released Friday.

According to an Emerson College Polling survey, Cooper leads Whatley 47% to 41%, with 12% of North Carolina registered voters undecided, as the Democrat launched his campaign on Monday, and the Republican announced his candidacy on Thursday. Both men are running for the Senate seat of GOP Sen. Thom Tillis who is retiring.

Cooper has higher name recognition than Whatley, as 51% of voters have a favorable view of the former governor, compared to 33% with a negative view, 13% unsure, and 3% who are unfamiliar with him.

Meanwhile, Whatley, who was the North Carolina Republican Party chairman before leading the RNC, has a 17% favorable rating and 16% unfavorable rating, with 30% unsure and 36% who are unfamiliar with him.

“With over a year to go until the North Carolina U.S. Senate race, Whatley’s low name recognition presents both a challenge and an opportunity, while only 17% view him favorably, nearly two-thirds of voters either don’t know him or are unsure. That leaves room for his campaign to define him before his opponent does,” said Emerson College Polling Executive Director Spencer Kimball.

“In contrast, Cooper enters the race with significantly higher name recognition and a more favorable public image.”

Cooper also has a 19-point lead among independent voters, with 47% who support him, compared to 28% for Whatley.

President Trump, who has endorsed Whatley, has a 46% job approval rating among North Carolina voters, compared to 44% disapproval.

The generic 2026 congressional ballot race is a toss-up, with 41.5% supporting the Democratic candidate and 41.3% supporting the Republican.

The poll was conducted July 28-30, before Whatley's campaign launch. A total of 1,000 North Carolina registered voters were surveyed, and the poll's margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points.