Roy Cooper runs for North Carolina U.S. Senate seat in 2026

Roy Cooper, the former Democratic governor of North Carolina, is running for U.S. Senate in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

Cooper faces Republican Michael D. Whatley, Green Party candidate Michael Dublin and Libertarian Shannon W. Bray, according to BallotReady election data. Cooper is certified for the ballot.

He has said he is running to "make stuff cost less," pointing to rising prices for groceries, rent, utilities and health care, according to WLOS.

Candidate information

Party: Democratic
Office sought: U.S. Senate, North Carolina
Hometown: Nash County, North Carolina
Education: Bachelor's degree and law degree, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, according to BallotReady
Family: Cooper and his wife, Kristin, raised three daughters in Rocky Mount, according to his campaign website

Cooper grew up in Nash County, where he attended public schools and worked summers on a farm, according to his campaign website. His mother was a public school teacher. He practiced law in Rocky Mount for 18 years, representing everyday people and small businesses, Cooper's campaign said.

Experience and public service

Cooper has held elected office in North Carolina for decades, according to his campaign website and BallotReady:

State representative, North Carolina House of Representatives, 1987–1991
State senator, North Carolina State Senate, 1991–2001
Attorney general, 2000–2016
Governor, 2017–2025

Cooper's campaign said he wrote North Carolina's first children's health insurance initiative while serving in the legislature. He also taught Sunday school and tutored students in local public schools, according to his campaign website.

On the issues

Economy and cost of living: Cooper has called tariffs "chaotic and irrational," saying they raise costs for farmers on fertilizer and equipment, with those costs passed to consumers, according to the Wilmington Star-News. He has pledged to vote to roll back tariffs.

Cooper also unveiled a plan to lower childcare costs, including investing in higher wages for childcare workers, expanding apprenticeships, cutting red tape for childcare facilities and expanding the Child Care and Dependent Tax Credit, according to the Star-News.

Health care: Cooper said affordable health care is at risk due to attacks on Medicaid and Medicare, expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies and insurance costs, according to WLOS. As governor, Cooper's campaign said he secured a bipartisan agreement to expand Medicaid, which by early 2025 had brought health care to more than 650,000 North Carolinians. His campaign also said he enacted a plan to incentivize hospitals to relieve more than $4 billion of existing medical debt for 2 million eligible residents.

Disaster relief: Cooper said he wants to "recreate FEMA, because clearly, it has been almost destroyed," calling a federal disaster agency critical when storms strike, according to WLOS.

Governance: Cooper said he would be a tough, independent senator who would work with the president when possible, stand up to him when needed and stand up to leaders in his own party when he thinks they are wrong, according to WLOS.

Education and workforce: As governor, Cooper proposed NC GROW (Getting Ready for Opportunities in the Workforce), a scholarship and aid program to help people earn community college degrees and job training, his campaign said through BallotReady.