Democrats still in the dumps over last year's elections have found cause for optimism in North Carolina, where former Gov. Roy Cooper jumped into the race for that state's newly open seat with a vow to address voters' persistent concerns about making ends meet.

A new Victory Insights poll of the North Carolina Senate election points to a close race between former Governor Roy Cooper and Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Michael Whatley, while an Emerson College poll gives Cooper a lead in what is likely to be one of the most competitive of the 2026 midterms.