Election 2026: Day later, Cooper’s poll lead still healthy despite 9% difference

Cooper led Whatley 49.2%-34.1% in a Carolina Journal Poll released Thursday. Respondents numbered 608 in last week’s Sunday through Tuesday sampling that carried a +/- 3.97% margin of error.

Within the numbers, Whatley scored well with those ages 40-64 (Whatley 46.8%, Cooper 46.5%) and ages 65 and over (Cooper 49.8%, Whatley 48.2%) while Cooper commanded the category matching his 38 years in elected public office for the state (ages 18-39, Cooper 50.5%, Whatley 28.5%).

A third term was declined last summer by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. Both Cooper and Whatley followed with formal intentions in late July. Nearly 14 months later, little has changed in the form of Cooper leading in fundraising according to the Federal Elections Commission and polls.

Taxpayers and registered voters of North Carolina are impacted by the election and policies that come with candidates or their parties. Voters will choose a U.S. senator, all 14 members of the U.S. House, and all 170 members of the General Assembly. One state Supreme Court seat and a number of judges, district attorneys, and county level offices are on the state's second-longest ballot of the four-year cycles.

Cooper’s bid to succeed Tillis would be trend-breaking if successful. Tillis, Richard Burr and Ted Budd have made Republicans 5-for-5 since Democrat Kay Hagan won election to the U.S. Senate in 2008.

Republicans in statewide races for this decade – 2020, 2022 and 2024 – are 32-10 against Democrats, a party with significantly declining voter registrations for more than 20 consecutive years, according to State Board of Elections data analyzed by The Center Square.

This U.S. Senate seat is viewed as a major player nationally in the quest for a majority in the chamber. Republicans have 53 seats today. In no particular order, Ohio, Michigan, Georgia, Maine, Iowa, New Hampshire, Alaska, Texas and Montana are the other top battlegrounds among 35 races. Two of those are special elections, the other 33 are in regular rotation.

Absentee voting began on Sept. 4 with the mailing of ballots to the nearly 50,000 requesting them, opening a 61-day window to Nov. 3. Oct. 9 is the voter registration deadline.

Absentee requests do not require a reason; anyone can file with their respective counties. The deadline for an absentee ballot in the mail to be in a county election board office is when the polls close at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 3; the request deadline is 5 p.m. on Oct. 20.

Early in-person voting is Oct. 15-31, and same-day registration is permitted.