Former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper holds a commanding double-digit lead in the latest poll of North Carolina’s closely watched Senate race, which is seen as one of Democrats’ best pickup opportunities in the 2026 midterm elections.

The new survey data released Monday by Tipp Insights for the League of American Workers shows Cooper with 48 percent compared to 24 percent who support former Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Michael Whatley. An additional 27 percent are undecided.

Why It Matters

While Democrats are hoping to perform well in the upcoming 2026, based on consistent over performance in 2025 elections and the historical trend of the opposition party to the president generally winning seats in the midterm, they face a difficult map as they aim to win control of the Senate. The party needs to flip at least four Republican-held seats without losing any they currently hold.

North Carolina is one of the few states Democrats are optimistic about, as it has become increasingly purple in recent cycles. With incumbent GOP Senator Thom Tillis retiring, and a popular former governor running for the Democrats, the party believes a win may be within reach this cycle.

What To Know

Tipp’s latest poll was conducted from January 12 to 15 and included 1,512 registered voters. In addition to Cooper’s 24-point lead over Whatley, the Democrat was viewed favorably by a majority of respondents.

More than half (54 percent) of voters hold a favorable view of Cooper, compared with 25 percent for the GOP contender. However, 43 percent said they still weren’t sure about Whatley and nearly a third, 32 percent, said they view him unfavorably. Notably, that is slightly higher than the 31 percent who said they hold an unfavorable view of the former governor.

What Previous North Carolina Polls Show

A poll by High Point University’s Survey Research Center, conducted in November and released in December, showed that more North Carolina voters currently plan to back a Democrat in the 2026 Senate race than a Republican. The poll asked voters in the state, “If the elections for U.S. Senate were being held today, would you vote for the Republican Party’s candidate or the Democratic Party’s candidate for U.S. Senate?”

Forty-six percent of survey respondents said they’d back a Democrat, while 41 percent said they’d support a Republican—a lead of 5 points for Democrats. An additional 4 percent supported a candidate from “another party,” and 9 percent said they were “unsure.”

The poll included 1001 adults in North Carolina, of whom 783 self-identified as registered voters. The survey was carried out from November 11 to 17 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.

A Carolina Journal poll conducted by Harper Polling of 600 likely voters in November found Cooper leading Whatley. Voters backed Cooper 47 percent to Whatley’s 38.6 percent. Prior to that, an Emerson College survey from July showed Cooper leading Whatley by 6 points, 47 percent to 41 percent. That survey included 1,000 registered voters and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

What People Are Saying

Jeff Allen, Cooper’s campaign manager, told Newsweek in December: “A Democrat has not won statewide federal office in North Carolina in nearly two decades and we know this race will be very close, which is why we’re building a campaign to earn every vote and make sure North Carolinians know that Roy Cooper will fight for them in the Senate.”

Michael Whatley said in an interview with Breitbart published last month: “And there’s a true swing vote, but that, that middle group, they care about common sense versus crazy, and the fact that my opponent, Roy Cooper, has been, over the course of his career, fighting harder for criminals and illegal aliens than he has his own constituents, is a very real issue in North Carolina.”

What Happens Next

The 2026 midterm elections are about 10 months away, with North Carolina holding its primary on March 3, 2026. Traditionally, the party that does not hold the White House tends to perform better in midterms. Democrats also overperformed in 2025 special elections, giving them hope that they could potentially flip the House and possibly the Senate next year.

In a polarized era, the center is dismissed as bland. At Newsweek, ours is different: The Courageous Center—it’s not “both sides,” it’s sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you.

When you become a Newsweek Member, you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant. Members enjoy: Ad-free browsing, exclusive content and editor conversations. Help keep the center courageous. Join today.

Advertisement

Cal snapped a three-game skid Saturday when the Golden Bears nabbed their second win against a ranked team when they defeated No. 15 North Carolina, 84-78, at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley.

California led by 20 points in the second half of the game but North Carolina rallied late, although it wasn’t enough to mount a comeback. The win was the Golden Bears’ first victory over a top-15 opponent since 2016.

The Golden Bears were led by senior forward John Camden with 20 points. Dai Dai Ames and Justin Pippen, son of Basketball Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, each scored 17 in the game. Lee Dort had seven points and 12 rebounds.

Cal head coach Mark Madsen was grateful for the loud, raucous environment during their home game at Hass Pavilion.

“Just really want to thank the Cal coommunity, the students, the alums … the donors and supporters. It was basically a packed house. We’re trying to build something special here at Cal and it takes everybody and I can’t say enough about the environment,” Madsen told reporters after the game.

Madsen added: “Can’t give enough credit to North Carolina. Late in the game they had us on our heels. They did a great job of trying to make us uncomfortable. Credit them and credit some guys of ours that stepped up and made plays late with no timeouts.”

Tar Heels freshman Caleb Wilson had a team-high 17 points for North Carolina. Henri Veesaar and Derek Dixon each had 14. Veesaar grabbed 10 rebounds for UNC.

More NCAA Men’s Basketball: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

“I think there was a sense of urgency that wasn’t there in the first 20, 25 minutes,” UNC coach Hubert Davis told reporters after the game. “There were still mistakes that were made on both ends of the floor but it was done with an urgency, with an effort that allowed us to get back in the game.”

Cal shot 50% from the field and even better from 3-point territory, shooting 54% from deep.

“It was great to see,” Madsen said. “Everybody knows we put pressure on the rim with attacking the rim with different actions that we have. It was nice to see a few shots drop too, tonight, early, because we can also shoot it, we can do both.”

North Carolina shot 46% from the field and 33% from 3. Additionally, the Tar Heels missed 11 free throws, going 61% (17-of-28).

Despite dominating the paint 32-18, the Tar Heels never led.

Cal advances its record to 14-5 (2-4 in the ACC standings), while North Carolina, 14-4, now has a 2-3 mark in the ACC.

The Tar Heels’ next game is against Notre Dame on Jan. 21 on ESPN2. The Golden Bears visit the Stanford Cardinal at Maples Pavilion on Jan. 24 on the ACC Network.

TIMBERLAKE, N.C. — A North Carolina man won the lottery but couldn’t immediately collect his winnings. Carl McCain tried his luck in the Nov. 4 Mega Millions drawing and matched four numbers. He says, “It was a four times winner, so it was $800 that I won.”

Because of the size of the prize, McCain had to travel from his Timberlake home to the North Carolina Education Lottery’s regional office in Raleigh to claim his winnings.

“I filled the form out and give them my ticket, and I sit down and wait,” McCain said.

Instead of receiving a check, McCain says he was handed paperwork explaining that under the North Carolina State Lottery Act, if a winner owes a debt to state or local agencies, lottery winnings, minus taxes, are applied to that debt.

McCain says a lottery employee told him, “These two counties you owe money are Lenoir County and Wayne County. I said, well, I never been there before. I don’t know anybody there.”

McCain says he contacted both counties and provided his name and birthdate, but was told there was no debt. However, when he gave his Social Security number, he says he was told, “Another man’s number name is hitting off your Social Security number.”

McCain says that was the first time he had ever heard of the issue. He wanted more information, but says he was told it couldn’t be released. He says the counties told him they would look into it. After waiting more than a month with no answers, McCain says he called several more times and was told officials were still investigating.

That’s when he decided to contact ABC11 Troubleshooter Diane Wilson with our Raleigh sister station. McCain says to Wilson, “I told my wife, I said, you know, we need to call Diane Wilson. I said, because I seen her get refrigerators and washing machines so why can’t she get $800 for me?”

ABC11 Troubleshooter reached out to the North Carolina Education Lottery, which confirmed McCain’s winnings were processed properly and sent to Lenoir County. When Wilson contacted representatives in Lenoir County, they said they had been looking into the issue for more than a month and were still working on it. Shortly after Wilson’s inquiry, McCain received good news. He says, “They erased my Social Security number out of their databank.”

Within days, McCain received a check for his lottery winnings, minus the required taxes. He later told Wilson, “I was glad that you intervened and came to my rescue.”

Lenoir County says the debt tied to McCain’s Social Security number dates back more than ten years and may have been a case of mistaken identity. It’s still unclear how the error occurred. The bottom line: McCain finally got his lottery winnings and says he’s still trying his luck.