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Raleigh, Wake County

Triangle: Roy Cooper leads U.S. Senate race over Michael Whatley in unofficial returns

The Associated Press called the race Tuesday night, NC Newsline reported. A statewide State Board file with all precincts in listed Cooper at 58.72%. Wake and Durham county tallies also favored Cooper. Not certified.

UpdatedThis story has changed since it was first published.

By Alexandru Stanciu · Published

Downtown Raleigh buildings under a blue sky

File photo: James Willamor (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

What we know

Confirmed

  • An unofficial statewide results file from the North Carolina State Board of Elections for the Nov. 3, 2026, general election, with all 2,626 of 2,626 precincts reporting and a county-summary stamp of about 6:35 a.m. Eastern on Nov. 4, listed Democrat Roy Cooper with 2,467,963 votes (58.72%), Republican Michael Whatley with 1,643,088 (39.09%), Libertarian Shannon W. Bray with 55,726 (1.33%), and Green Party candidate Michael Dublin with 36,404 (0.87%) in the U.S. Senate contest.Confirmed by North Carolina State Board of Elections unofficial statewide results file, accessed Nov. 4, 2026
  • NC Newsline independently reported that the Associated Press called the U.S. Senate race for Cooper around 8:25 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, that Cooper secured the seat as the first Democrat to win a North Carolina Senate election since 2008, and that Whatley conceded.Confirmed by NC Newsline, Nov. 3, 2026
  • WRAL independently reported that former Gov. Roy Cooper defeated Republican Michael Whatley in North Carolina's U.S. Senate race, that Cooper will replace Sen. Thom Tillis, a two-term Republican who did not seek reelection, and that with most results in Cooper had about 58.7% to Whatley's about 39.2%.Confirmed by WRAL, Nov. 3–4, 2026
  • In Wake County, the State Board unofficial file listed Cooper with 380,365 votes (72.69%) and Whatley with 132,965 (25.41%), with all 216 of 216 precincts reporting. Bray had 6,017 (1.15%) and Dublin 3,890 (0.74%).Confirmed by North Carolina State Board of Elections unofficial Wake County results file, accessed Nov. 4, 2026
  • In Durham County, the State Board unofficial file listed Cooper with 131,025 votes (87.07%) and Whatley with 17,168 (11.41%), with all 58 of 58 precincts reporting. Bray had 1,180 (0.78%) and Dublin 1,109 (0.74%).Confirmed by North Carolina State Board of Elections unofficial Durham County results file, accessed Nov. 4, 2026

Still unknown

  • Final certified statewide and county totals after provisional ballots and the canvasses

What this means for you

Instructions from North Carolina State Board of Elections

This site is not an elections office. Unofficial results are on the State Board's election-results site. Certified results come later from the county canvasses. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

What happened

Across the Triangle and the rest of North Carolina, Democrat Roy Cooper is leading Republican Michael Whatley for the open U.S. Senate seat in unofficial returns after the Nov. 3 election, according to a statewide State Board of Elections file and independent outlet coverage.

That unofficial statewide file, with all 2,626 precincts reporting and a Nov. 4 morning stamp, listed Cooper with 2,467,963 votes (58.72%), Whatley with 1,643,088 (39.09%), Libertarian Shannon W. Bray with 55,726 (1.33%), and Green Party candidate Michael Dublin with 36,404 (0.87%). Those figures are not certified.

NC Newsline independently reported that the Associated Press called the race for Cooper around 8:25 p.m. Tuesday and that Whatley conceded. WRAL separately wrote that Cooper defeated Whatley and that Cooper will replace Sen. Thom Tillis, a two-term Republican who did not seek reelection. WRAL also carried a near-final split of about 58.7% to 39.2% with most results in.

Triangle counties

In Wake County, the State Board unofficial file showed Cooper at 380,365 votes (72.69%) and Whatley at 132,965 (25.41%), with every Wake precinct counted. In Durham County, Cooper had 131,025 (87.07%) and Whatley 17,168 (11.41%), with all 58 Durham precincts in.

Certification follows the county canvasses. This site is not an elections office. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

Related coverage

Why it matters

North Carolina's open U.S. Senate seat affects federal representation for Triangle readers. Unofficial State Board tallies and the Associated Press call put Cooper ahead before certification.

Updates

  1. Nov 4, 2026, 9:55 AM

    First file from the Nov. 4 morning NCSBE statewide unofficial U.S. Senate file (all precincts), Wake and Durham county files, plus NC Newsline on the AP call and WRAL on the result and Tillis vacancy.

Sources

  1. Statewide unofficial results file (NCSBE enr/20261103/data/results_0.txt; county summary stamp about 6:35 a.m. ET Nov. 4, 2,626 of 2,626 precincts: US SENATE Roy Cooper DEM 2,467,963 / 58.72%; Michael Whatley REP 1,643,088 / 39.09%; Shannon W. Bray LIB 55,726 / 1.33%; Michael Dublin GRE 36,404 / 0.87%)

    Official sourcePublished by North Carolina State Board of Elections · Checked Nov 4, 2026, 9:50 AM

  2. Wake County unofficial results file (NCSBE enr/20261103/data/results_92.txt: US SENATE Cooper DEM 380,365 / 72.69%; Whatley REP 132,965 / 25.41%; Bray LIB 6,017 / 1.15%; Dublin GRE 3,890 / 0.74%; 216 of 216 precincts)

    Official sourcePublished by North Carolina State Board of Elections · Checked Nov 4, 2026, 9:50 AM

  3. Durham County unofficial results file (NCSBE enr/20261103/data/results_32.txt: US SENATE Cooper DEM 131,025 / 87.07%; Whatley REP 17,168 / 11.41%; Bray LIB 1,180 / 0.78%; Dublin GRE 1,109 / 0.74%; 58 of 58 precincts)

    Official sourcePublished by North Carolina State Board of Elections · Checked Nov 4, 2026, 9:50 AM

  4. Cooper becomes first Democrat to win US Senate race in NC since 2008 (NC Newsline, Nov. 3, 2026: AP called the race for Cooper around 8:25 p.m.; Whatley conceded; Tillis retiring; unofficial returns about 59% to 39% as of midnight. Text-only; no NC Newsline photos used. Statewide percentages in this file follow the State Board all-precinct file above.)

    Published by NC Newsline · Checked Nov 4, 2026, 9:50 AM

  5. Cooper becomes first NC Democrat to win a US Senate seat since 2008 (WRAL / Paul Specht and Will Doran, updated Nov. 4, 2026: Cooper defeated Whatley; Tillis did not seek reelection; with most results in Cooper about 58.7% to Whatley about 39.2%. Text-only; no WRAL photos used.)

    Published by WRAL · Checked Nov 4, 2026, 9:50 AM

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