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The first Emerson College Polling survey of the 2026 U.S. Senate race in North Carolina finds former Governor Roy Cooper starting the race with a six-point edge on Republican National Committee Chair, Michael Whatley, 47% to 41%, with 12% undecided.

Roy Cooper broke fundraising records in his first 24 hours as a Senate candidate — a massive cash boost the former North Carolina governor will need for what’s expected to become one of the most expensive statewide campaigns in U.S. history. National and North Carolina strategists from both parties said the race — likely between Cooper and Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley, who has President Donald Trump’s endorsement — could be one of the costliest Senate races in the 2026 midterms, topping out at $650 to $800 million, according to private estimates described by both parties. That would crack...

Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s (D) Senate campaign announced it raised more than $3.4 million in the 24 hours since launching Monday. Cooper’s campaign said it raised $2.6 million for his Senate campaign plus an additional $900,000 for the Democratic Party. Ninety-five percent of the individual donations that came into the campaign in the first 24 hours were $100 or less, according to the campaign. The former governor’s campaign called the haul “a testament” to Cooper’s “strong and deep support across North Carolina.” “I have thought on it and prayed about it, and I have decided: I want to...

Former two-term Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is running for the Senate in battleground North Carolina. Cooper announced his candidacy on Monday morning in the open-seat race to succeed Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who announced late last month that he wouldn’t run for re-election in the 2026 midterm elections. "I have thought on it and prayed about it, and I have decided: I am running to be the next U.S. Senator from North Carolina," Cooper said in a social media post. Cooper's campaign launch is seen as a major coup for the Democratic Party, as he was the party's top recruit...

Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is planning to launch a run for Senate, according to two sources familiar with his plans, handing Democrats a top candidate in a state that will be central to the fight for the majority. Axios, which broke the news of Cooper's expected bid, reported that he is expected to enter the race next week, according to multiple sources. Morgan Jackson, Cooper’s top political advisor, would not confirm Cooper's plans but said that the former governor would share more about his plans in the coming days. Cooper is also listed as a speaker at the...

RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina House voted 72–48 on Tuesday to override Governor Josh Stein’s veto of House Bill 318, officially enacting the Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act. The controversial legislation mandates that sheriffs notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within two hours when releasing an inmate subject to an immigration detainer and requires a 48-hour hold for federal pickup. They also considered several other bills. Republicans enacted a total of eight bills that Stein had vetoed. With each of those bills passed, support was secured from at least one Democrat in the House to meet the required...

The North Carolina state legislature overrode the Democrat governor’s veto of HB805, which seeks to “prevent the sexual exploitation of women and minors,” on Tuesday, passing it into law. Both the state House and the state Senate voted to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of the a Republican sponsored legislation that would officially “recognize two sexes in all administrative rules, regulations, or public policies adopted” by the state, prohibit state funding from going toward trans procedures, and require schools to “adopt policies” enabling parents and students to opt out of curriculum on religious grounds. According to the North Carolina Family...

Gov. Josh Stein vetoed a slew of anti-Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) bills and a gender bill on Thursday but signed a licensure agreement bill and one that protects parents and caregivers from legal consequences for raising children in alignment with their biological sex. Among the bills he vetoed was SB 558, Eliminating “DEI” in Public Higher Ed. The legislation prohibits UNC System schools and community colleges from promoting discriminatory policies and practices. Under the measure, public colleges and universities would be required to eliminate offices and staff dedicated to DEI initiatives. The bill prohibits promoting “divisive concepts,” such as...

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein wants to ensure his state allows killing babies in abortions regardless of what President Donald Trump may do. Stein has issued an executive order to bolster protections for abortion businesses. The executive order directs state agencies to refrain from cooperating with out-of-state investigations or prosecutions related to abortion – which would allow abortion facilities to break other states’ pro-life laws. That sets them up for legal safeguards from mailing dangerous abortion drugs that kill babies to people in pro-life states. The order also ensures that all data and information surrounding abortions remains private – which...

North Carolina Gov.-elect Josh Stein (D) said he is “eager” to work with the incoming administration to access federal relief for his state as it recovers from the devastation left by Hurricane Helene. Stein told ABC’s “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl that residents in the western part of the state are “really suffering,” but that he is “eager” to work with the incoming Trump administration on finding solutions. “Hurricane Helene left unimaginable devastation in its wake, many lives lost, thousands of buildings destroyed, homes and small businesses, infrastructure, critical infrastructure, water and sewer, wastewater, highways, parts of Interstate-40 fell into...

Nov 5 (Reuters) - Democrat Josh Stein won the North Carolina governor's race on Tuesday, Fox News projected, defeating Republican Mark Robinson, whose candidacy imploded following a CNN report that he had called himself a "Black Nazi" and made other offensive remarks on a pornographic website. Robinson, the Southern state's lieutenant governor, has denied the allegations and filed a defamation lawsuit against CNN. Robinson was endorsed by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who previously praised him as "Martin Luther King on steroids" but whose campaign distanced itself after the scandal broke in September. Robinson advocated for bringing back slavery for...

North Carolina Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein declined to debate Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson as the Republican faces scrutiny over salacious comments he allegedly posted online. Stein and Robinson are engaged in a battle to become North Carolina’s next governor this fall. Although Robinson has repeatedly requested to face off against his Democratic rival, Stein publicly refused on Thursday. “Mark Robinson has spent his entire public life spewing hate, lying about his record, and spreading dangerous and false conspiracy theories,” Stein campaign spokeswoman Kate Frauenfelder told the Hill. “A debate would only serve to legitimize him and provide a...

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, North Carolina's Republican nominee for governor, announced a major staffing shakeup Sunday, days after CNN reported that he had called himself a "black NAZI" on an online porn forum. The big picture: Robinson, who denies making comments outlined in the CNN investigation, announced in a statement that his top adviser Conrad Pogorzelski; Chris Rodriguez, campaign manager; Heather Whillier, finance director; and Jason Rizk, deputy campaign manager "have stepped down from their roles with the campaign." "I appreciate the efforts of these team members who have made the difficult choice to step away from the...

Several top staffers and fundraisers for Mark Robinson's gubernatorial campaign have quit, current and former campaign members said Sunday. The North Carolina Republican Party nominee for governor is facing increased pressure and skepticism from members of his party after a recent report by CNN alleging that he made lewd, racist and pro-Hitler comments on a pornographic website's messaging board. ... Pressure had been mounting on Robinson in recent weeks, when some Republicans saw his poor polling numbers as a potential drag on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's chances of winning North Carolina’s crucial 16 electoral votes. A WRAL News Poll...

North Carolina Republicans are bracing Thursday morning as word spreads about a damning news story looming regarding Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. Sources with direct knowledge have spoken with Carolina Journal on the condition of anonymity and said that Robinson is under pressure from staff and members of the Trump campaign to withdraw from the governor’s race due to the nature of the story, which they say involves activity on adult websites in 2000s. According to sources, Robinson has resisted withdrawing and privately denies the story. In an email to Carolina Journal shortly after this story posted, Michael Lonergan, communications director...

Raleigh, N.C. – A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order Saturday against North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein’s secretive absentee ballot scheme struck with Gov. Roy Cooper’s Board of Elections and his former campaign attorney, in a case in which state House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) is the lead plaintiff. In a ruling siding with voters and state lawmakers while transferring their case to other litigation, U.S. District Court Judge James Dever said the plaintiffs’ motion for a temporary restraining order is “in the public interest.” “The NCSBOE inequitably and materially upset the electoral status quo in the middle...