North Carolina’s 2026 Senate race is coming into focus as former Gov. Roy Cooper prepares to run and Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley, backed by President Donald Trump and GOP leadership,

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- At the North Carolina Democratic Party's annual Unity Dinner fundraiser, former Governor Roy Cooper made strong hints to Democrats about his likely plans for an imminent run for U.S. Senate in 2026.

In his first public event after news of his impending Senate campaign broke, former Governor Roy Cooper asked everyone in the audience planning to run for office in 2026 to please stand for a round of applause.

The campaign for the open seat will be one of the biggest of 2026, after the incumbent Republican, Senator Thom Tillis, announced his retirement.

Roy Cooper is expected to announce his campaign for the North Carolina Senate as soon as Monday, according to two people directly familiar with the former governor’s decision.

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.

North Carolina will be at the center of the 2026 midterm elections, with a marquee U.S. Senate race that’s expected to attract big names given the high stakes for the balance of power in the federal government.

A record heat wave hit the state over the weekend; six people were killed in traffic crash on I-485; a trooper was injured in a high