Election update — Nov. 3, 2026, 8:23 p.m. Eastern: Decision Desk HQ projects Democrat Roy Cooper will win North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race over Republican Michael Whatley. DDHQ recorded its race call at 8:23 p.m. Eastern. The Associated Press also called the race for Cooper on Nov. 3.

At that update, DDHQ reported 51% of the vote in: Cooper had 1,501,539 votes (66.80%); Whatley, 709,535 (31.56%); Libertarian Shannon Bray, 20,626 (0.92%); and Green Party candidate Michael Dublin, 16,195 (0.72%). These are partial, unofficial returns, not certified final results. The projection is DDHQ’s; vote counting continues.

Follow DDHQ’s live race results and the North Carolina State Board of Elections’ official results dashboard for subsequent totals. This article will be updated as election officials release further vote totals.

Pre-election reporting

The two candidates vying for North Carolina's open U.S. Senate seat made stops near the Charlotte area on Sunday, Nov. 1, delivering closing arguments two days before Election Day.

Democrat Roy Cooper held a canvas lunch in Concord, WSOC-TV reported. He repeated his central campaign promise of "making stuff cost less." Republican Michael Whatley spoke at a Turning Point USA rally in Concord that same afternoon, WSOC-TV reported separately.

The Concord stops followed a week of Charlotte-area campaigning. Queen City News reported Whatley hosted a Get Out The Vote rally in Huntersville on Oct. 26, while Cooper met with voters in Charlotte the following morning.

The race is for the seat held by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who chose not to seek reelection, according to WFAE. North Carolina's seat is considered a tipping-point race in the battle for Senate control, according to WBTV. The Senate has 53 Republicans and 45 Democrats, plus two independents who caucus with Democrats, WFAE reported.

Cooper, a former North Carolina governor and former attorney general, has said the price of groceries, rent, utilities and health care are rising and that Washington is making it worse, according to WLOS. He has pledged to vote to roll back tariffs, which he called "chaotic and irrational," saying they raise costs for farmers and consumers, according to the Wilmington Star-News. Cooper has also proposed lowering childcare costs by investing in higher wages for childcare workers and expanding the Child Care and Dependent Tax Credit, the Star-News reported.

Whatley, who chaired the North Carolina Republican Party from 2019 to 2024, said he wants to advocate for tax and regulatory policies that benefit North Carolina businesses, WSOC-TV reported. He has said he supports tax cuts for the middle class and no taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security. His campaign website states he is committed to advancing President Donald Trump's America First agenda. Trump has endorsed Whatley's Senate bid.

WSOC-TV reported Whatley planned to visit Gaston County before polls close Tuesday, Nov. 3.