2026 United States Senate election in North Carolina
The 2026 United States Senate election in North Carolina will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of North Carolina. Incumbent two-term Republican Senator Thom Tillis, was re-elected in 2020 with 48.7% of the vote against former State Senator Cal Cunningham. On June 10, 2023, the North Carolina Republican Party had censured Tillis over his bipartisan support on gun control and same-sex marriage.[1] Outgoing governor Roy Cooper, who is term-limited as governor in 2024, is considered a potential Democratic candidate. On July 30th, 2024, NBC reported that Cooper is planning to run for the senate seat.
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Republican primary
editSenator Thom Tillis is considered vulnerable to a primary challenger from his right. On June 10, 2023, the North Carolina Republican Party voted to censure Tillis for his support for the Respect for Marriage Act and immigration reform attempts.[2]
Candidates
editPotential
edit- Thom Tillis, incumbent U.S. Senator
Democratic primary
editCandidates
editFiled paperwork
edit- Wiley Nickel, U.S. Representative from North Carolina's 13th congressional district (2023–present)[3]
Potential
edit- Roy Cooper, Governor of North Carolina (2017–present)[4]
References
edit- ^ Sonasundaram, Praveena (June 12, 2023). "North Carolina Republicans censure Sen. Thom Tillis after stance on LGBTQ issues". The Washington Post.
- ^ Berryman, Kim; Pellish, Aaron (June 11, 2023). "Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is censured by North Carolina GOP delegates at convention". CNN.
- ^ Vitali, Ali (December 14, 2023). "Democrat Wiley Nickel to leave Congress after N.C. redistricting, teeing up 2026 Senate run". NBC News. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
- ^ Alcindor, Yamiche; Kapur, Sahil; Richard, Zoë (July 29, 2024). "North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper backs out of consideration to be Kamala Harris' running mate". NBC News. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
One source directly involved in her search for a running mate said Cooper took himself out of the mix because he wants to run for the U.S. Senate in 2026