North Carolina Primaries Launch Key Senate Races

North Carolina's primary elections on March 3, 2026, kicked off a pivotal season in the battleground state, where voters will decide nominees for U.S. Senate, state legislative seats and local offices amid debates over affordability, immigration and election integrity. Early voting began February 11, drawing attention to races that could shape the state's political landscape and influence national control of Congress.

In the U.S. Senate race, a top priority for both parties, former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper emerged as the frontrunner in his party's primary. Cooper, who served two terms after a long career in state politics, has raised nearly $18 million since launching his campaign last summer. A moderate with broad appeal, he aims to flip the seat held by retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis, marking the first Democratic Senate win in North Carolina since 2008. On the Republican side, former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley leads with President Donald Trump's endorsement. Whatley, who once served as chief of staff to Senator Elizabeth Dole and legal counsel during the 2000 presidential recount, promised at a recent rally in Rocky Mount to act as a...