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When incumbent Republican US Senator Thom Tillis announced that he would not be seeking reelection in 2026, Democrats knew they would have an opportunity to pick up the seat.
Party leadership has been recruiting former Gov. Roy Cooper to run, and it is being reported that Cooper will announce his campaign on Monday.
Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) is preparing to launch his Senate campaign next week, multiple sources told Axios.
Cooper is the Democratic Party’s top recruit in 2026, bolstering their chances of flipping a critical seat from Republicans. Cooper, a popular former governor, will instantly become the Democratic favorite to challenge the GOP for the open Senate seat next year.
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Cooper and Democrats will now await a decision from Lara Trump, President Trump’s daughter-in-law, who essentially has the right of first refusal on the GOP side.
Donald Trump is pushing for his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, to run for the seat, but with Trump’s approval ratings in the dumpster and his presidency sinking more by the day, running Lara Trump against a popular former two-term governor would be a gift to Democrats.
The reality is that even if Lara Trump runs, Cooper should be the favorite.
The North Carolina Senate seat is essential because if Democrats can flip it, the Republican majority will be lowered to three seats, given the number of 50-50 ties that have been broken by VP JD Vance on everything from nominations to the tax cuts for the rich, gaining one more seat could allow Democrats to join with the Republican moderates to block Trump’s agenda.
Elections aren’t won in candidate recruitment, but they can be lost if the party doesn’t have good candidates. Roy Cooper is a very good candidate, and getting a top name to run suggests that Democrats at all levels see 2026 as potentially a very blue year.
What do you think about Roy Cooper running for the US Senate in North Carolina? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
