Democrats landed the biggest recruiting win of the 2026 midterm elections to date when former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper launched his Senate run Monday, boosting party hopes of winning the seat opened by retiring Republican Sen.

Former North Carolina Rep. Wiley Nickel dropped his Senate campaign Tuesday, one day after former Gov. Roy Cooper, a fellow Democrat, launched his bid for the open seat. “Today, I’m suspending my campaign for Senate and proudly endorsing Roy Cooper,

WASHINGTON — Democrats are dropping their bids to run for the open Senate seat in North Carolina, clearing the way for former Gov. Roy Cooper in what the party views as its best chance to flip a seat in the upper chamber next November.