RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s primary will be the official starting gun for one of the country’s most closely watched U.S. Senate campaigns, likely pitting former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper against former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley.
Each candidate is the most high-profile contender for their party’s nomination, which should be sealed on Tuesday. Scores of other races also are on the ballot, including for the U.S. House, state legislature and judicial seats.
North Carolina, a traditional battleground where Democrats have been able to hold the governor’s seat even as voters helped send President Donald Trump to the White House, is one of three states kicking off this year’s midterm elections, along with Texas and Arkansas. Tuesday’s slate of primaries comes against the backdrop of the U.S. and Israel attack on Iran.
The war, which began over the weekend, has killed at least six U.S. service members, spiraled into a regional confrontation as Iran retaliated and sent oil and natural gas prices soaring. The president, who campaigned on an isolationist “America First” agenda and went to war without authorization from Congress, faces mounting questions over its rationale and an exit strategy.
Advertisement
North Carolina’s election this year could be crucial for determining which party controls the U.S. Senate, where Republicans currently have the majority. The seat is open because Sen. Thom Tillis decided to retire after clashing with President Donald Trump. Political experts say a typhoon of outside money could make the race the most expensive Senate campaigns in U.S. history, perhaps reaching $1 billion.
Many Democrats see Cooper, who served two terms as governor and has been successful in state politics for decades, as the party’s best shot at victory. Democrats need to pick up four seats to take back control of the Senate, and they view the most likely path as winning in North Carolina, Maine, Alaska and Ohio.
Cooper faces five lesser-known rivals on Tuesday. Other Republicans on the Senate ballot include Navy officer Don Brown and Michele Morrow, who was the party’s nominee for state schools chief in 2024.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley, arrives to an early voting site to cast his vote on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, in Gastonia, N.C. Credit: AP/Erik Verduzco
Cooper formally entered the race weeks after Tillis announced last summer he wouldn’t seek a third term, as did Whatley, who was buoyed by Trump’s backing when the president’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump declined to enter. The two candidates have been campaigning for months against each other with little focus on intraparty opposition.
Advertisement
Whatley promises to keep pushing Trump’s agenda if elected, one that he says has cut taxes and spending and restored U.S. military might.
“It’s very important for us to have a conservative champion and for President Trump to have an ally in the Senate,” he said while voting early in Gastonia. “We’re going to be fighting for every family and every community in North Carolina.”
Some primary voters say Congress needs Democratic control as a counterweight to Trump and what they consider disastrous policies.
President Donald Trump listens as Michael Whatley speaks to soldiers and their families at Fort Bragg, N.C., Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. Credit: AP/Matt Rourke
“I think we need to send a message. And I think the more Democrats that show up, and the more independents that show up for this midterm election, and the more seats we can take from the Republicans, the more he might get the message,” said Lisa Frucht, 67, said as she cast a ballot for Cooper at an early voting site north of Raleigh.
Republican voter Gary Grimes, who chose Whatley, said Democratic control of Congress could lead to more impeachment efforts against Trump that ultimately won’t succeed.
Advertisement
“It’ll be a repeat of what they did to Trump in the first term,” said Grimes, 71, “And they can’t see anything except getting Trump, at any cost.”
A Democrat hasn’t won a Senate race in North Carolina since 2008. Meanwhile, Cooper, 68, hasn’t lost a North Carolina election going back to first running for the state House in the mid-1980s, leading to 16 years as attorney general and eight as governor through 2024.
Whatley, 57, previously worked in President George W. Bush’s administration, for then-North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole and as an energy lobbyist.
Cooper and his allies have centered campaign attacks on Whatley’s allegiance to the president and Trump policies, saying he backs higher tariffs and Medicaid spending reductions and must take blame for slow Hurricane Helene recovery aid.
Voting recently in Raleigh, Cooper said he wants to “make sure that I’m a strong, independent senator who can work with this president when I can, stand up to him when I need to and recognize that people are struggling right now.”
Advertisement
Whatley, Trump and other Republicans have blistered Cooper on criminal justice matters, accusing him of promoting soft-on-crime policies while governor. They’ve repeatedly highlighted last August’s fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light-rail train. Trump identified Zarutska’s mother in attendance at last week’s State of the Union address.
Cooper told reporters recently that his career is about “prosecuting violent criminals and keeping thousands of them behind bars.”
Tuesday’s election also includes primary elections in all but one of North Carolina’s U.S. House districts. They include a five-candidate GOP primary in the northeastern 1st Congressional District, which is currently represented by Democratic Rep. Don Davis, who faced no primary opposition.
The Republican-controlled General Assembly created last fall a more right-leaning 1st District to join Trump’s multistate redistricting campaign ahead of the 2026 elections to retain the House. Davis won in 2024 by less than 2 percentage points.
Eastern North Carolina could see multiple rounds of storms through Monday, including the potential for severe weather with damaging winds, tornadoes and hail.
The National Weather Service in Newport/Morehead City says rain and thunderstorms will increase Sunday afternoon and evening as a warm front lifts north across the region. Some storms could become strong, with the greatest chance for severe weather near the Crystal Coast and Outer Banks.
The weather service expects a more significant threat on Monday as a strong cold front moves across the Carolinas. Multiple rounds of storms are possible throughout the day, with the greatest risk during the afternoon and evening.
Meteorologists say conditions Monday could support widespread severe thunderstorms capable of producing damaging wind gusts, large hail and tornadoes.
Advertisement
Many ENC schools are closing or releasing early on Monday due to the severe weather threat.
A line of storms is expected to move west to east across eastern North Carolina Monday evening ahead of the cold front. Forecasters say isolated supercell thunderstorms may also develop ahead of the line earlier in the day.
The NWS has placed eastern North Carolina under an enhanced risk of severe weather Monday, indicating numerous severe storms are possible.
Outside of thunderstorms, strong winds are also expected ahead of the front. Inland areas could see the strongest non-thunderstorm winds between 2 and 7 p.m. Monday, while the coast and Outer Banks could experience peak winds between 6 p.m. and midnight.
Wind advisories have been issued for parts of the Outer Banks and Down East Carteret County. Hazardous marine conditions and high surf are also expected along the coast.
Advertisement
Behind the cold front, temperatures are forecast to drop sharply. Overnight lows could approach freezing across the Coastal Plain early Tuesday, with another round of colder air potentially bringing temperatures into the upper 20s inland Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
Forecasters advise residents to monitor the latest weather updates and have multiple ways to receive warnings as the storms move through the area.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WLOS) — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has announced a statewide online mental health bed registry aiming to reduce wait times and ensure people in crisis receive care as soon as possible.
According to a news release, the Behavioral Health Statewide Central Availability Navigator (BH SCAN) is now updated hourly instead of once per day and has been integrated with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
The hotline 988 will now be able to connect mobile crisis teams when they are dispatched to someone in crisis, letting them know the available mental health beds in their area.
NCDHHS DIRECTOR REACTS TO FEDERAL FUNDING CUT FOR LGBTQ+ YOUTH ON THE 988 HOTLINE
Advertisement
This allows for 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline call center dispatchers to connect to BH SCAN for mental health bed availability in the caller’s area, making sure there are no disruptions, the release says.
“Making BH SCAN available to 988 counselors and improving its accuracy with automated updates will make it easier for people in North Carolina to receive the care they need and deserve in a more coordinated effort,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai, in a news release. “This innovative partnership between providers and facilities across the state is one of the ways we are working to support a mental health care system that works for everyone, ensuring a healthier North Carolina.”
According to the release, the Automated Bed Availability (ABA) function of the BH SCAN will provide real-time data to providers and hospitals across the state who are searching for an available mental health care bed.
Previously, the SCAN relied on manual daily updates by hospital staff, which reduced the accuracy of the system and could result in delays in finding an available bed.
Now the new automated bed feature ensures that providers can quickly and accurately find a placement for patients across the state and at all levels of care.
Advertisement
The release says that North Carolina is the first state in the country to have the hourly ABA function.
Since the launch of the BH SCAN in 2023, it has grown to provide up-to-date information to more than 3,500 mental health care beds in 112 facilities across the state.
These facilities include the following:
Inpatient psychiatric beds
Alcohol and drug abuse treatment centers
Substance use disorder care
Behavioral health urgent care
Pediatric residential care
Facility-based care and state hospitals
NCDHHS says BH SCAN is a secure portal that allows referring facilities to search for an appropriate and available inpatient bed based on multiple search criteria, including demographics, acuity, commitment status and location.
BH SCAN now provides visibility into 80% of the state’s total inpatient psychiatric bed capacity, with more beds expected to be added, according to the release. There are approximately 3,200 inpatient psychiatric beds statewide.
NCDHHS’ goal is to have all providers on the ABA enhancement to the BH SCAN by early 2027.
Advertisement
NCDHHS CELEBRATES 3 YEARS OF 988 HOTLINE AMID FUNDING CONCERNS FOR LGBTQ+ YOUTH
According to the release, when the ABA expansion went live, North Carolina experienced a 1,400% increase in bed updates per day, meaning providers were easily able to see current information about available beds.
“BH SCAN is one of many investments made by NCDHHS to build resilience and strengthen our system of care to ensure everyone gets the care they need in the place that is convenient to them,” said Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW, Director, NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Disorders. “Finding an appropriate bed based on someone’s medical needs can be a time-intensive process. BH SCAN is helping simplify this so people receive help quicker.”
For more information on NCDHHS’ efforts to increase mental health care in North Carolina, visit here.
Minnesota earned the right to host in the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Michael Hickey / Getty Images
West Virginia, Minnesota and North Carolina were the big winners of Saturday’s top 16 reveal for the 2026 NCAA Tournament, as the selection committee prioritized conference tournament results in its final pre-Selection Sunday reveal.
The top 16 teams host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, a format that has existed since 2015, except for the bubble tournament in 2021. The reveal did not list the order of the top 16 seeds.
Advertisement
The Mountaineers and Tar Heels had not been in either of the prior two top-16s but entered the field when it counted. West Virginia won the Big 12 tournament to earn its spot, upsetting fellow top-16 team TCU in the process, to enter the NCAA Tournament on a six-game winning streak. North Carolina lost to Louisville in the ACC tournament semifinals but picked up a victory over Duke in the final game of the regular season to bring its Quad 1 win total to four and earn a hosting spot.
With two new teams crashing the party, the Big Ten — which had all four No. 4 seeds in the previous reveal — seemingly had three teams fighting for one spot. Minnesota was the victor as Maryland and Michigan State fell out of the top 16. All three teams lost in the first round of the conference tournament, but the Golden Gophers have the highest NET ranking at No. 9, compared to 14th and 17th for the Terrapins and Spartans, respectively.
The seedings will be announced at 8 p.m. ET Sunday on ESPN. Here is the full list of the top 16 in alphabetical order:
This is the first year that the committee has released the top 16 seeds the day before Selection Sunday, a change that gives host sites an additional day to prepare (secure hotels, staffers, etc.). However, without knowing the seed line, schools still don’t know if they will have to host a First Four, which requires additional logistical support — and starts two days earlier.
The First Four games are Wednesday and Thursday, and the first round of the NCAA Tournament begins Friday.
