Roy Cooper Leads North Carolina Senate Race, Poised to Flip 1 GOP Seat

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 23

Roy Cooper has opened a durable lead over Republican Michael Whatley in North Carolina, making him the clearest Democratic opportunity to flip a Senate seat on Nov. 3.
38 years in elective office — including 2 terms as governor — have given Cooper unusually broad name recognition and personal ties across the state, a key reason voters and operatives see the race as nearly decided.
Both parties have already pulled most of their advertising money after weeks of consistent polling advantages for Cooper, signaling a sharp drop in expectations of a late competitive fight.
A Cooper win would be notable in a perennial swing state that Donald Trump carried 3 times and that both parties had expected to be a Senate battleground this year.