Washington — Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley is preparing to enter the race for the open U.S. Senate seat in North Carolina, one of the top battleground contests of the 2026 cycle, according to three sources familiar with his plans.

Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper appears to be running for Senate. The former governor addressed the elephant in the room at the NC Democrats Unity Dinner in Raleigh Saturday evening. Cooper did not plainly state that he would be running,

RALEIGH, N.C. — At tonight’s NC Democrat Unity Dinner, former Gov. Roy Cooper hinted at running for Senate, after Senator Thom Tillis announced he is not running for reelection. During the dinner, he told everyone who is planning on running for office next year to stand up.

During Roy Cooper's speech at the North Carolina Democratic Party's Unity Dinner tonight, he hinted at possibly running for election next year.

Since Sen. Thom Tillis said he wouldn’t seek a third term, eyes have been on the former North Carolina governor to run in the Democratic primary.

Trajectories and responsibilities for many politicians altered significantly on the coattails of former President Joe Biden’s announcement a year ago Monday that he would drop out