Roy Cooper

Democratic Party

US Senate · Wake County, North Carolina · November 3, 2026

Also on the ballot: Michael Dublin (Green Party), Shannon W. Bray (Libertarian Party), Michael Whatley (Republican Party)

Roy Cooper, North Carolina's governor from 2017 to 2025 and attorney general before that, is the Democratic nominee for the open U.S. Senate seat. He is campaigning on lowering costs, defending abortion rights and Medicaid expansion, and limiting local cooperation with ICE, and leads in fundraising and September 2026 polling.

What this office decides

A U.S. Senator writes and votes on federal law, taxes, and spending, and confirms federal judges and executive appointees. The seat also shapes federal policy on health coverage, immigration, guns, energy, and the use of American force abroad. One of two senators representing all of North Carolina, for a six-year term.

How this race lines up with you

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Dossier

Researched 2026-09-23 · Claude Code research agent with web search

Donald Trump: opposed. Trump has not been found criticizing Cooper by name directly, but he gave Cooper's chief rival in this race, Michael Whatley, his "complete and total endorsement" and held a rally in North Carolina on September 16, 2026 campaigning for Whatley against Cooper. source

Sierra Club (for) source
Planned Parenthood Action Fund (for) source
Reproductive Freedom for All (for) source

Who they are

Roy Cooper served two terms as Governor of North Carolina (2017–2025), after 16 years as Attorney General and 14 years in the legislature (Ballotpedia). He holds no office now and is the Democratic nominee for the seat Thom Tillis is vacating (Ballotpedia News).

Positions

Taxes & spending: Runs on a "Make Stuff Cost Less" platform targeting food, energy, childcare, and housing costs, saying "the biggest corporations and the richest Americans have grabbed unimaginable wealth" (roycooper.com).
Health care: As governor, signed Medicaid expansion into law in March 2023, covering more than 600,000 low-income residents (NC Governor's Office).
Immigration: Vetoed three bills as governor requiring sheriffs to cooperate with ICE, including 2025's SB 101, saying current law "already allows the state to...prosecute dangerous criminals regardless of immigration status" (WLOS); backed a 2024 bipartisan border bill with legal-status pathways (WRAL).
Foreign policy/trade: Says he'll vote to roll back Trump's tariffs, arguing trade authority "rest[s] with Congress" (BallotWire).
Personal freedom: Supports abortion rights, saying in 2024 "you can't compromise on women's right to choose" (OnTheIssues); his party says he also shielded out-of-state abortion patients from extradition by executive order (NC Democratic Party).

Record

Vetoed 104 bills as governor, more than any predecessor; the legislature overrode 52, but Democrats sustained his last 47 vetoes, including sheriff-ICE and gun-law bills (The Assembly).

Money

FEC data through June 30, 2026: $34,975,789 raised, $20,717,567 cash on hand (FEC.gov). Endorsed by the Sierra Club, citing his record tripling North Carolina's solar capacity as governor (Sierra Club).

What we couldn't find

No statement on general business/financial regulation beyond energy and tariffs.
No statement on military engagement abroad.

Sources (17)