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The State · North Carolina · Nov. 3, 2026

US SENATE

Polls, campaign money and the district behind the race.

The State · On the ballot

Candidates

REPMichael Whatley
Raised
$11,272,504
Spent
$7,810,806
Cash on hand
$3,461,698

FEC · As of Jun 30, 2026

FEC candidate filing ↗
The State · Last 120 days

Poll average

Bray2.4%

2 polls used · Latest Sep 15, 2026

Cooper49.7%

21 polls used · Latest Sep 29, 2026

Dublin1.8%

2 polls used · Latest Sep 15, 2026

Whatley40.2%

21 polls used · Latest Sep 29, 2026

The State · Every public poll

Polls over time

● Cooper● Whatley● Undecided● Bray● Dublin● Other

Each point is a poll, dated by its final field day. All reported choices and outliers are retained.

The State · 45 public polls

The full record

LV: likely voters · RV: registered voters · A: adults · MOE: margin of error

Pollster / sponsorField datesSampleMOEResultsSource
Big Data PollSep 27, 2026 to Sep 29, 2026698 · RV±4 points

Cooper 45.2%

Whatley 34.2%

Undecided 20.6%

Release ↗
Big Data PollSep 27, 2026 to Sep 29, 2026642 · LV±4 points

Cooper 47.4%

Whatley 35.2%

Undecided 17.4%

Release ↗

With leaners: Cooper 50.8, Whatley 38.5

Quantus InsightsR-sponsoredSep 21, 2026 to Sep 22, 2026686 · LV±4.2 points

Cooper 48%

Whatley 43%

Release ↗
Opinion Diagnostics

Common Cause North Carolina

Sep 17, 2026 to Sep 20, 2026857 · LV±3.3 points

Other 2%

Cooper 51%

Whatley 41%

Undecided 5.4%

Release ↗

With leaners: Cooper 52, Whatley 44

Fabrizio Ward/Impact Research

AARP

Sep 17, 2026 to Sep 20, 20261,115 · LV±2.9 points

Cooper 53%

Whatley 42%

Undecided 5%

Release ↗
YouGovSep 15, 2026 to Sep 18, 20263,895 · RV±2.5 points

Cooper 52%

Whatley 41%

Release ↗

270toWin lists 3,742 LV, 53-41

InsiderAdvantageSep 16, 2026 to Sep 17, 20261,200 · LV±2.83 points

Cooper 48.4%

Whatley 42.5%

Release ↗
High Point University/YouGov

High Point University

Sep 9, 2026 to Sep 16, 2026706 · LV±3.9 points

Cooper 50%

Whatley 42%

Undecided 8%

Release ↗

Field dates per poliwave; release page unreachable

Harper Polling

Carolina Journal (John Locke Foundation)

R-sponsored
Sep 13, 2026 to Sep 15, 2026608 · LV±3.97 points

Bray 2.9%

Cooper 49.2%

Dublin 1.5%

Whatley 34.1%

Undecided 12.3%

Release ↗
Catawba College/YouGov

Catawba College

Sep 4, 2026 to Sep 15, 2026885 · LV±3.68 points

Cooper 47%

Whatley 35%

Undecided 18%

Release ↗
Trafalgar GroupSep 8, 2026 to Sep 10, 20261,084 · LV±2.9 points

Cooper 48.2%

Whatley 42.3%

Undecided 9.5%

Release ↗

Aggregator source only; pollster release not fetched

East Carolina University

East Carolina University

Aug 31, 2026 to Sep 3, 2026675 · LV±4.4 points

Cooper 46%

Whatley 39%

Undecided 14%

Release ↗

Forced choice: Cooper 52, Whatley 44

Elon University/YouGov

Elon University

Aug 21, 2026 to Aug 31, 2026Not reported · RV±5.05 points

Cooper 49%

Whatley 36%

Undecided 14%

Release ↗
Elon University/YouGov

Elon University

Aug 21, 2026 to Aug 31, 2026565 · LV±5.6 points

Bray 2%

Cooper 49%

Dublin 2%

Whatley 38%

Undecided 8%

Release ↗

LV n=565 per Newsweek/270toWin

High Point University/YouGov

High Point University

Aug 3, 2026 to Aug 12, 2026800 · RV±4.3 points

Cooper 48%

Whatley 41%

Undecided 11%

Release ↗
High Point University/YouGov

High Point University

Aug 3, 2026 to Aug 12, 2026660 · LV±5.2 points

Cooper 50%

Whatley 45%

Undecided 5%

Release ↗
Harper Polling

Carolina Journal (John Locke Foundation)

R-sponsored
Aug 9, 2026 to Aug 10, 2026600 · LV±4 points

Cooper 51.5%

Whatley 39%

Undecided 9.5%

Release ↗
Change Research

Carolina Forward

D-sponsored
Aug 3, 2026 to Aug 6, 2026915 · LV±3.5 points

Cooper 50%

Whatley 43%

Release ↗
Change ResearchD-sponsoredJul 29, 2026 to Aug 1, 2026967 · RV±3.4 points

Cooper 50%

Whatley 41%

Undecided 9%

Release ↗
Elon University/YouGov

Elon University

Jul 23, 2026 to Jul 31, 2026800 · A±4.2 points

Cooper 47%

Whatley 33%

Undecided 20%

Release ↗
Elon University/YouGov

Elon University

Jul 23, 2026 to Jul 31, 2026717 · RV±4.42 points

Cooper 51%

Whatley 35%

Undecided 14%

Release ↗
Elon University/YouGov

Elon University

Jul 23, 2026 to Jul 31, 2026466 · LV±5.6 points

Cooper 53%

Whatley 42%

Undecided 5%

Release ↗
Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. Research

Fox News

Jul 23, 2026 to Jul 27, 20261,005 · RV±3 points

Cooper 53%

Whatley 44%

Undecided 3%

Release ↗
Public Policy PollingD-sponsoredJul 10, 2026 to Jul 11, 2026759 · LV±3.6 points

Cooper 48%

Whatley 44%

Undecided 8%

Release ↗

270toWin lists RV

Siena College

New York Times

Jun 15, 2026 to Jun 27, 2026601 · LV±4.7 points

Cooper 50%

Whatley 43%

Undecided 6%

Release ↗
Catawba College/YouGov

Catawba College

Jun 1, 2026 to Jun 10, 2026905 · LV±3.83 points

Cooper 48%

Whatley 34%

Undecided 15%

Release ↗
Harper Polling

Carolina Journal (John Locke Foundation)

R-sponsored
May 10, 2026 to May 11, 2026600 · LV±4 points

Cooper 49.8%

Whatley 38.7%

Undecided 11.5%

Release ↗
Change ResearchD-sponsoredMay 4, 2026 to May 8, 2026957 · LV±3.3 points

Cooper 49%

Whatley 42%

Undecided 9%

Release ↗
Opinion DiagnosticsR-sponsoredApr 21, 2026 to Apr 24, 2026830 · RV±3.5 points

Cooper 50%

Whatley 41%

Undecided 9%

Release ↗

Reported as 'voters'

High Point University/YouGov

High Point University

Mar 26, 2026 to Apr 6, 2026800 · RV±4.1 points

Cooper 49%

Whatley 39%

Undecided 12%

Release ↗
High Point University/YouGov

High Point University

Mar 26, 2026 to Apr 6, 2026703 · LV±4.3 points

Cooper 50%

Whatley 42%

Undecided 8%

Release ↗
Quantus InsightsR-sponsoredMar 31, 2026 to Apr 1, 2026987 · LV±3.5 points

Cooper 49%

Whatley 44%

Undecided 8%

Release ↗
Harper Polling

Carolina Journal (John Locke Foundation)

R-sponsored
Mar 22, 2026 to Mar 23, 2026600 · LV±4 points

Cooper 48.9%

Whatley 41.1%

Release ↗
Catawba College/YouGov

Catawba College

Mar 9, 2026 to Mar 18, 2026871 · LV±3.58 points

Cooper 48%

Whatley 34%

Undecided 14%

Release ↗

Numbers include leaners (47-31 without). LV n=871 per 270toWin; Wikipedia lists 1,000 LV; 1,266 adults interviewed

Public Policy PollingD-sponsoredMar 13, 2026 to Mar 14, 2026556 · RV±4.2 points

Cooper 47%

Whatley 44%

Undecided 9%

Release ↗

Reported as 'voters'

Nexus Strategies/Strategic Partners SolutionsMar 8, 2026 to Mar 9, 2026800 · RV±3.5 points

Cooper 50%

Whatley 32%

Undecided 18%

Release ↗

Wikipedia lists RV; 270toWin lists LV

Change Research

Carolina Forward

D-sponsored
Jan 31, 2026 to Feb 4, 20261,069 · RV±3.1 points

Cooper 50%

Whatley 40%

Undecided 11%

Release ↗
TIPP InsightsR-sponsoredJan 12, 2026 to Jan 15, 20261,512 · RV±2.7 points

Cooper 48%

Whatley 24%

Undecided 27%

Release ↗
Change Research

Carolina Forward

D-sponsored
Jan 5, 2026 to Jan 7, 20261,105 · LV±3.5 points

Cooper 47%

Whatley 42%

Undecided 9%

Release ↗
Harper Polling

Carolina Journal (John Locke Foundation)

R-sponsored
Nov 9, 2025 to Nov 10, 2025600 · LV±4 points

Cooper 47.3%

Whatley 38.6%

Release ↗
Harper Polling

Carolina Journal (John Locke Foundation)

R-sponsored
Sep 14, 2025 to Sep 15, 2025600 · RV±4 points

Cooper 46%

Whatley 42%

Undecided 12%

Release ↗
Change Research

Carolina Forward

D-sponsored
Sep 2, 2025 to Sep 8, 2025855 · LV±3.6 points

Cooper 48%

Whatley 41%

Undecided 11%

Release ↗
Harper Polling

Carolina Journal (John Locke Foundation)

R-sponsored
Aug 11, 2025 to Aug 12, 2025600 · RV±4 points

Cooper 47%

Whatley 39%

Undecided 14%

Release ↗
Victory InsightsR-sponsoredJul 28, 2025 to Jul 30, 2025600 · LVNot reported

Cooper 43%

Whatley 40%

Undecided 17%

Release ↗
Emerson CollegeJul 28, 2025 to Jul 30, 20251,000 · RV±3 points

Cooper 47%

Whatley 41%

Undecided 12%

Release ↗
The State · How to read this

Method and sources

The average uses polls from the last 120 days, weighted for recency and sample size. Older polls drop out. Campaign and party-sponsored polls count half as much. Each poll counts once, with likely voters preferred when a poll reports multiple populations. Every public poll is shown below, including outliers. District lean is an estimate of the 2024 presidential vote within the 2026 district lines. Absentee and early votes reported at county level are spread across districts in proportion to precinct votes. Sources: NC State Board of Elections, FEC and pollster releases. Polls are snapshots, not predictions.

Precinct map · Coming soonVoter registration by party · Coming soon