Roy Cooper leads ex-RNC chair Michael Whatley by 9 in NC Senate poll

Key Points:

• A Fox News poll shows Democrat Roy Cooper leading Republican Michael Whatley 53% to 44% in North Carolina’s open Senate seat race, with Cooper holding a larger advantage among voters who are extremely interested or motivated to vote.
• Cooper garners strong support from moderates, younger voters, independents, college-educated voters, and women, while Whatley performs best with very conservative voters, White evangelical Christians, rural voters, and White voters without a college degree.
• Enthusiasm is higher among Cooper supporters, with 84% voting for him rather than against Whatley, compared to 52% of Whatley’s supporters voting for him rather than against Cooper.
• President Trump’s unfavorable ratings in North Carolina (58% unfavorable vs. 40% favorable) and Whatley’s ties to Trump are concerns for nearly half of voters, including moderates and independents, complicating Whatley’s path to victory.
• Inflation is the top issue for voters, and while North Carolina has recently favored Democrats in gubernatorial races, it remains a Republican-leaning state in presidential elections, with Trump winning by 3 points in 2024.