The rating
Likely Democrat
Rated Likely Democrat by Cook Political Report on Oct 20, 2026.
| Forecaster | Rating | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Cook Political Report (opens in a new tab) | Likely D | Oct 20, 2026 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Likely D | Latest |
Who is running
Michael Whatley
Republican Open seat
Roy Cooper
Democrat Open seat
The facts
- Sen. Thom Tillis announced on June 29, 2025 he would not run again, after backlash for voting against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
- President Trump endorsed Whatley, a former Republican National Committee chairman.
- Cook moved the race from Leans Democratic to Likely Democratic.
Opinion
Why this race matters to conservatives
A Republican-held seat that forecasters now give to the other side.
This box is the opinion of RightNewsRightNow. The rest of this page is reporting, with sources listed below.
Where these facts come from
- Cook Political ReportCurrent rating, as of Oct 20, 2026Read it (opens in a new tab)
- Wikipedia (election pages, with their cited sources)Candidate and race factsRead it (opens in a new tab)