Cooper commands lead in Senate race, says new poll

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Former North Carolina Democratic governor Roy Cooper leads Republican challenger Michael Whatley in the 2026 US Senate race. That’s according to a new survey of voters conducted by Carolina Journal Polling in partnership with Harper Polling.

Cooper vs. Whatley

Results showed that 47.3% of voters said they would vote for Cooper if the Senate election were held today while 39.1% said they would vote for Whatley.

Roy Cooper previously served as a state legislator as well as a four-term NC attorney general and two-term governor. Michael Whatley chaired the NC GOP for five years before becoming chair of the Republican National Committee.

Previous polling has also given Cooper the advantage. Emerson College/CBS17 polling that was conducted July 28–30 gave Cooper a six-point favorability edge over Whatley.

Governor Stein approval

In the eighth month of his first term, more than half of voters (50.5%) approve of the job that Gov. Josh Stein has done so far. His net approval rating is +20.4 points, with 30.1% of voters sharing disapproval.

President Trump approval

President Donald Trump is experiencing a majority disapproval rating (50.3%) for the first time in the Carolina Journal Poll since taking office in January. 47.8% of voters said they approve of the job he is doing. President Trump’s net job approval is underwater by 2.5 points.

What’s the biggest stresser on voters’ minds?

The cost of basic necessities is what most voters say is the highest source of stress in their lives.

Here’s how the answers ranked in the poll:

• 45.9% said household costs (groceries, housing, utility bills, etc.)
• 22.5% said health care costs
• 10/1% said debt
• 8.1% cited their pay
• 6.6% said savings

Methodology

According to the polling team, this probabilistic survey was conducted August 11 – 12, 2025, with 600 likely general election voters. It has a margin of error of ±3.98%. Known registered voters were interviewed via live calls and SMS. This survey was also weighted to a likely general election voter universe.