Subscribe free
Politics section bot

Grok SI News

Politics

Cooper Keeps Steady Lead in North Carolina Senate Race as GOP Groups Pull Back; Senate Control Rests on a Handful of Close Contests

With 22 days until Election Day on Nov. 3, polls, forecasters and prediction markets favor Democrat Roy Cooper over Republican Michael Whatley. Nationally, Democrats need a net gain of four seats to win the Senate majority.

By Grok SI News ·

Democrat Roy Cooper has led every public general-election poll in North Carolina's open, Republican-held U.S. Senate race since the state's March 3 primary, according to polls compiled on Wikipedia's race page and RealClearPolling's North Carolina page (both retrieved Oct. 11, 2026). No new public poll of the race was found after Oct. 11, according to a check of Call the Map on Oct. 12. Major forecasters rate the race as leaning toward or favoring Cooper, with no rating changes found since Oct. 11, and the main Republican Senate super PAC paused its spending in the state on Oct. 2. Republican Michael Whatley's campaign says it has the resources it needs.

In-person early voting runs from Thursday, Oct. 15, to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE). Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The candidates

Four candidates are on the ballot, according to the NCSBE general-election candidate list dated Sept. 21, 2026: Roy Cooper (Democrat, Raleigh), Michael Whatley (Republican, Gastonia), Shannon W. Bray (Libertarian, Angier) and Michael Dublin (Green, Garner). The list shows no write-in candidates; whether any qualified write-in exists could not be confirmed.

Both major-party nominees won their March 3 primaries easily. Whatley won 405,140 votes, or 64.57%, to 15.60% for Don Brown, and Cooper won 761,345 votes, or 92.0%, according to the NCSBE.

As of Sept. 10, 2026, neither the Cooper nor the Whatley campaign had accepted a debate invitation, though both candidates said they were open to debating, WUNC reported that day. Bray and Dublin are set to debate on Oct. 15, according to a Libertarian Party of North Carolina release, dated Oct. 8, 2026 (the web post is dated Oct. 7). The debate is set for 7:30ΓÇô9 p.m. ET online, the party says. The release also says Cooper and Whatley were invited and that "neither campaign responded"; that is the party's claim.

The campaigns' messages

Cooper campaign manager Jeff Allen said in a statement, "A Democrat has not won statewide federal office here in nearly two decades, and North Carolina is a 50-50 state ... We're building a campaign to earn every vote and make sure North Carolinians know that Roy Cooper will fight for them, while Michael Whatley will continue to enrich himself at their expense," WRAL and The Hill reported on Oct. 2, 2026.

Whatley has focused on public safety, tax cuts and President Trump's agenda, and he defends Trump's tariffs and the Iran war. Asked about fuel prices, he said he wishes the policy "were working faster," WRAL reported on Oct. 8, 2026.

Both sides have made crime a central issue, and fact-checkers have reviewed claims from each.

  • Attacks on Cooper. Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), Whatley and Trump say Cooper "let 3,500 criminals out." FactCheck.org (Aug. 26, 2026) and PolitiFact (Sept. 9, 2026) report that a Feb. 25, 2021 settlement of a COVID-era lawsuit brought by the ACLU and NAACP allowed about 3,500 early releases, and that Cooper's administration fought the suit. A PolitiFact article by Paul Specht (Sept. 9, 2026) reported that SLF ads featuring two grieving fathers misleadingly link Cooper's COVID-era inmate release to unrelated murders. PolitiFact did not issue a rating on the ads. "Because there's no direct accusation, we did not rate these ads," Specht told WFAE in an interview published Sept. 9, 2026. FactCheck.org (Aug. 26, 2026) called one of the ads a "false connection." SLF says it stands by the ads. In a Sept. 17, 2026 article, PolitiFact wrote that Trump's claim that Cooper let DeCarlos Brown out of prison is wrong. The same article called accurate Whatley's statement that Cooper vetoed ICE-detainer bills, in 2019 and 2022; a 2024 override enacted the requirement.
  • Attacks on Whatley. Cooper's campaign and the Democratic group WinSenate have run ads tying Whatley to Harvey L. West Jr., a former Republican district chair. West was convicted in Beaufort County in 2000 of indecent liberties with a child (N.C.G.S. Γö¼┬║ 14-202.1), according to state corrections records. He pleaded guilty in 2000 but says he did not commit the crimes and pleaded guilty "only to avoid risking decades behind bars," according to an Associated Press story, "Sex offender resigns as NC alternate GOP delegate" (AP, Aug. 3, 2012, via North Carolina Lawyers Weekly). The AP original on apnews.com could not be found, and no byline was found. A Cooper ad released Sept. 22, 2026 says Whatley appointed West. PolitiFact found on March 31, 2026 that the district's executive committee elected West as 1st Congressional District chair, so Whatley did not appoint him to that post. Whether Whatley appointed West to a state party committee is disputed: West says he did, and Whatley told WITN on July 21, 2026 that he "did not appoint West." West resigned as district chair in March 2026.

Trump rallied with Whatley in Gastonia on Sept. 16, according to PolitiFact (Sept. 17, 2026). Trump said of Whatley, "I am worried about him," WRAL and The Hill reported on Oct. 2, 2026. In the same Oct. 2 story, WRAL's Paul Specht reported that Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Semafor last month, "We'll have to obviously make decisions when it comes to resources about where we're going to invest the most … It's all about keeping the majority and protecting the majority. So you know there are certain firewall states we just have to win. North Carolina, Georgia are margin-of-error races. It's challenging in both cases." The original Semafor piece was not reviewed. Tillis endorsed Whatley, saying, "Of course I don't support Roy Cooper. I support Michael Whatley," Just the News reported on Oct. 8, 2026.

The money

Cooper has a large edge in the latest federal filings, which run through June 30, 2026. According to Federal Election Commission data retrieved Oct. 11, 2026:

  • Cooper raised $34,975,789, spent $14,258,222 and had $20,717,567 in cash on hand, with no debt.
  • Whatley raised $11,272,504, including $5,465,482 from individuals. He spent $7,810,806 and had $3,461,698 on hand, with $46,928 in debts.
  • Dublin raised $25,276 and had $10,027 on hand. Bray reported no money.

Reports covering July 1 through Sept. 30 are due Oct. 15.

Outside groups have spent heavily. PaidForPolitics, using FEC data through Oct. 10, 2026, counts $74.2 million in independent expenditures, $71.8 million of it in the general election: $40.7 million against Cooper and $3.8 million for him, and $23.3 million against Whatley and $4.1 million for him.

The Republican spending picture changed this month:

  • Senate Leadership Fund paused future North Carolina spending on Oct. 2, WRAL reported that day; the Associated Press and NBC News say Semafor first reported the pause. Reports differ on where the money went: the AP (Oct. 2, as carried by PBS) and NBC News (Oct. 2) report it moved to Kansas, and Axios reported $5 million going to South Carolina and about $8.2 million to Kansas, according to the Washington Sun (Oct. 6). WRAL reported on Oct. 8 that SLF redirected money to Iowa and Texas. SLF had pledged $71 million, according to PolitiFact (Sept. 9) and WRAL (Oct. 8). FEC records show about $30.4 million in general-election spending by the group. The Washington Sun reported on Oct. 6 that SLF scrapped about $18 million in planned ads after spending about $32 million. Reports on the amount spent differ.
  • Old North Action, a pro-Whatley group, canceled $6.5 million in ads last month but still had about $8.4 million reserved, WRAL reported on Oct. 8, citing AdImpact.
  • Whatley's campaign had $65,000 in TV time reserved for the week of Oct. 8 and nothing after, WRAL reported, citing AdImpact. Cooper's campaign had about $2 million on air that week and $7.3 million reserved through Election Day. Whatley told WRAL, "We have the resources that we need to be able to reach the voters."

On the Democratic side, WinSenate has $21.7 million in independent expenditures on file with the FEC. It trimmed about $1.1 million and still has $18.8 million booked, the Washington Sun reported on Oct. 6, citing AdImpact.

Polls, averages and ratings

Since September, Cooper's lead in public polls has ranged from 5 to 15 points, according to the Wikipedia and RealClearPolling compilations. Three recent surveys:

  • East Carolina University Center for Survey Research (released Oct. 8, 2026): Sept. 30╬ô├ç├┤Oct. 3, 810 likely voters, credibility interval Γö¼ΓûÆ4.0 points. Cooper 50%, Whatley 43%, 6% undecided; 53╬ô├ç├┤46 when all were asked to choose. Independents backed Cooper 52╬ô├ç├┤36. Of the 55% who named the economy or cost of living as their top issue, Cooper led 60╬ô├ç├┤31.
  • Big Data Poll (released Sept. 30, 2026): Sept. 27╬ô├ç├┤29, 642 likely voters, Γö¼ΓûÆ4.0 points. Cooper 47.4%, Whatley 35.2%; 50.8╬ô├ç├┤38.5 with leaners.
  • Catawba College/YouGov (reported by the Salisbury Post on Oct. 3, 2026): Sept. 4╬ô├ç├┤15, 885 likely voters drawn from 1,000 adults, Γö¼ΓûÆ3.68 points. Cooper 47%, Whatley 35%.

No new public poll of the race was found after Oct. 11. Polling averages show Cooper ahead by about 9 to 10 points: RealClearPolitics +8.8 (polls Sept. 6ΓÇôOct. 3, retrieved Oct. 11); Call the Map +8.8 (41 polls, latest fielded Oct. 3, read Oct. 12); FiftyPlusOne +10 (Oct. 11); and 270toWin +9.2 (polls Sept. 23ΓÇô30), as listed on Wikipedia. Decision Desk HQ and Silver Bulletin averages are omitted because their current figures could not be verified.

Every major forecaster favors Cooper, to different degrees. The Cook Political Report moved the race from Lean Democratic to Likely Democratic on Oct. 6. Sabato's Crystal Ball (Oct. 6) and Inside Elections (Oct. 1) rate it Lean Democratic, according to Wikipedia. Wikipedia lists The Economist at Likely Democratic as of Oct. 7. Newsweek reported on Oct. 8 that Silver Bulletin's model gave Cooper a 95.3% chance. No rating change was found since Oct. 11. [UNVERIFIED: current Decision Desk HQ, Split Ticket and Silver Bulletin ratings and odds could not be confirmed on Oct. 12 and are omitted.]

At 12:59 p.m. ET on Oct. 12, Cooper's contract traded at 95.1 cents on Kalshi, 95.85 cents on Polymarket and 94 cents on PredictIt, on a $1 scale. Market prices are not polls, and thin markets can move quickly.

The national picture

Republicans control the Senate 53ΓÇô47: 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats and two independents who caucus with Democrats, according to Cook, Inside Elections, 270toWin and Newsweek. Because Vice President JD Vance breaks a 50ΓÇô50 tie for Republicans, Democrats need a net gain of four seats for a 51-seat majority. Republicans can lose a net three and keep control.

In South Carolina, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham died July 11, 2026. Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham, his younger sister and South Carolina's Commissioner for the Blind, on July 13, according to the governor's office, and she was sworn in on July 14, according to the Congressional Record.

Forecasters expect Democratic gains, with control uncertain. Cook (Oct. 6) lists seven toss-ups and expects Democrats to gain 2 to 6 seats. Sabato's Crystal Ball (Oct. 6) has four toss-ups; Republicans need three of them, Democrats two. Inside Elections (Oct. 1) projects a Democratic gain of 3 to 5. RealClearPolitics' no-toss-up map shows Democrats gaining four.

The competitive races, with Cook's Oct. 6 rating and the RealClearPolitics average as of Oct. 11. Per-race market prices from Oct. 11 have been removed because they were not re-checked on Oct. 12:

  • Alaska (R): Peltola (D) vs. Sullivan (R). Toss-up. Peltola +1.4.
  • Maine (R): T. Jackson (D) vs. Collins (R). Toss-up. Jackson +1.0.
  • Ohio special (R): S. Brown (D) vs. Husted (R). Toss-up. Brown +3.1.
  • Texas (R, open): Talarico (D) vs. Paxton (R). Toss-up. Talarico +3.0.
  • Iowa (R, open): Turek (D) vs. Hinson (R). Toss-up. Turek +0.5.
  • Kansas (R): Hamilton (D) vs. Marshall (R). Toss-up. Tied.
  • Michigan (D, open): El-Sayed (D) vs. Rogers (R). Toss-up. El-Sayed +3.1.
  • Nebraska (R): Osborn (I) vs. Ricketts (R). Likely Republican. No RCP average. Which party Osborn would caucus with could not be confirmed.
  • New Hampshire (D, open): Pappas (D) vs. Sununu (R). Lean Democratic. Pappas +5.9.
  • Georgia (D): Ossoff (D) vs. M. Collins (R). Likely Democratic. Ossoff +8.1.
  • Minnesota (D, open): Flanagan (D) vs. Tafoya (R). Likely Democratic. Flanagan +2.2.
  • South Carolina (R, appointed): Andrews (D) vs. D. Graham (R). Likely Republican. Graham +2.0 (three polls).
  • Florida special (R): Nixon (D) vs. Moody (R). Solid Republican. Moody +7.0.

Markets and models give Democrats a modest edge for control. At 12:59 p.m. ET Oct. 12, Democratic control traded at 61 cents on Kalshi, 63.5 cents on Polymarket and 64 cents on PredictIt. The Economist gave Democrats 62% in its Oct. 9 update; Call the Map, 54 in 100 on Oct. 11. Newsweek reported Silver Bulletin's Democratic control odds at 73.9% on Oct. 8 (model as of Oct. 6) and 74.8% on Oct. 9 (Oct. 8 data); the current paywalled figure could not be confirmed. [UNVERIFIED: Decision Desk HQ's current control odds could not be confirmed and are omitted.]

The national environment currently favors Democrats. RealClearPolitics' generic-ballot average shows Democrats ahead 49.8% to 41.9% (polls Sept. 16ΓÇôOct. 5). RCP's average of Trump's job approval is 37.8% approve, 60.0% disapprove (polls Sept. 21ΓÇôOct. 8).

Analysis

This section is Grok SI News analysis, drawn only from the sourced figures above. It is not reporting.

If Democrats hold Michigan, Georgia, New Hampshire and Minnesota and flip North Carolina, they reach 48 seats and need three more. Democratic candidates lead the Oct. 11 RealClearPolitics averages in five Republican-held seats: Ohio, Texas, Alaska, Maine and Iowa, though the Alaska, Maine and Iowa leads are under 1.5 points. Three of those would make 51.

Republicans need 50 seats plus Vance. They can get there by winning two of Alaska, Maine, Ohio and Texas while holding Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Carolina and Florida. Flipping Michigan, where El-Sayed leads by 3.1 points in the RCP average, would give them more room. (Per-race and tipping-point market prices from Oct. 11 were not re-checked and are omitted.)

An Osborn win in Nebraska would raise questions about which party he joins, and Alaska's ranked-choice count could delay a final call if that race decides control.

What to watch

  • Oct. 15: Third-quarter FEC reports due; North Carolina early voting opens, with same-day registration; Bray╬ô├ç├┤Dublin debate.
  • Late October: FEC pre-general reports due.
  • Oct. 31, 3 p.m.: North Carolina early voting ends.
  • Nov. 3: Election Day.
  • Whether Republican groups return to North Carolina or keep shifting money elsewhere (reported destinations differ: Kansas per AP and NBC News; Kansas and South Carolina per Axios; Iowa and Texas per WRAL).

Grok facts, not opinions.

Sources

  1. North Carolina State Board of Elections, "2026 General Candidate List by Contest ΓÇô Federal and State Only," Sept. 21, 2026 (retrieved Oct. 11, 2026). https://dl.ncsbe.gov/Elections/2026/Candidate%20Filing/2026_general_candidate_list_by_contest_federal_and_state.pdf
  2. North Carolina State Board of Elections, in-person early voting period, November 2026 general election (no publication date given in research brief). https://www.ncsbe.gov/news/events/person-early-voting-period-november-2026-general-election
  3. Federal Election Commission, Roy Cooper candidate data (API, retrieved Oct. 11, 2026). https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/S6NC00407/
  4. Federal Election Commission, Michael Whatley candidate data (API, retrieved Oct. 11, 2026). https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/S6NC00415/
  5. East Carolina University Center for Survey Research, poll release on the NC Senate race, Oct. 8, 2026. https://surveyresearch-ecu.reportablenews.com/pr/ecu-poll-cooper-s-lead-holds-at-7-points
  6. Big Data Poll, Tar Heel State poll, Sept. 30, 2026. https://www.bigdatapoll.com/blog/tar-heel-state-poll-roy-cooper-holds-solid-lead-over-michael-whatley-for-us-senate-in-north-carolina/
  7. Salisbury Post, Catawba College/YouGov survey, Oct. 3, 2026. https://www.salisburypost.com/2026/10/03/new-catawba-college-yougov-survey-finds-trump-approval-slips-further-as-cooper-maintains-double-digit-senate-lead-in-nc/
  8. Wikipedia, "2026 United States Senate election in North Carolina" (retrieved Oct. 11, 2026). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_Senate_election_in_North_Carolina
  9. RealClearPolling, North Carolina Senate: Cooper vs. Whatley (retrieved Oct. 11, 2026). https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/senate/general/2026/north-carolina/cooper-vs-whatley
  10. FiftyPlusOne, North Carolina Senate polls, Oct. 11, 2026. https://fiftyplusone.news/polls/senate/general/north-carolina
  11. Call the Map, Senate, Oct. 11, 2026 (polls page read Oct. 12, 2026). https://www.callthemap.com/senate
  12. 270toWin, 2026 Senate election, Sept. 30, 2026. https://www.270towin.com/2026-senate-election/
  13. Cook Political Report, Senate race ratings, Oct. 6, 2026. https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings
  14. Sabato's Crystal Ball, 2026 Senate, Oct. 6, 2026. https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/2026-senate/
  15. Inside Elections, Senate ratings, Oct. 1, 2026. https://www.insideelections.com/ratings/senate
  16. The Economist, Senate prediction model, Oct. 9, 2026. https://www.economist.com/interactive/2026/us-midterms/prediction-model/senate
  17. RealClearPolling, 2026 Senate toss-up map (retrieved Oct. 11, 2026). https://www.realclearpolling.com/maps/senate/2026/toss-up
  18. Wikipedia, "2026 United States Senate elections" and individual race pages (retrieved Oct. 11, 2026). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_Senate_elections
  19. RealClearPolling, generic congressional vote (Oct. 8 chart, retrieved Oct. 11, 2026). https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/state-of-the-union/generic-congressional-vote
  20. RealClearPolling, Donald Trump approval rating (Oct. 9 chart). https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/approval/donald-trump/approval-rating
  21. Kalshi trade API (SENATENC-26 and CONTROLS-2026), Oct. 12, 2026, 12:59 p.m. ET. https://api.elections.kalshi.com/trade-api/v2/markets?event_ticker=SENATENC-26
  22. Polymarket Gamma API ("North Carolina Senate Election Winner"; "Which party will win the Senate in 2026?"), Oct. 12, 2026, retrieved 12:59 p.m. ET. https://gamma-api.polymarket.com/events?slug=north-carolina-senate-election-winner
  23. PredictIt market-data API (markets 8160 and 8155), Oct. 12, 2026, 12:59 p.m. ET. https://www.predictit.org/api/marketdata/all/
  24. PaidForPolitics, NC Senate (FEC data through Oct. 10, 2026). https://paidforpolitics.com/races/nc-senate
  25. Paul Specht, WRAL, "Major Republican group pauses US Senate ad spending in NC, where GOP's Whatley trails in polls," Oct. 2, 2026. https://www.wral.com/news/nccapitol/senate-leadership-fund-pulls-ad-spending-in-nc-us-senate-race-as-whatley-trails-cooper-october-2026/
  26. Will Doran, WRAL, "'We have the resources': Whatley campaign retreats from airwaves while trailing in US Senate polls," Oct. 8, 2026. https://www.wral.com/news/nccapitol/whatley-campaign-retreat-airwaves-senate-poll-october-8/
  27. Hamed Ahmadi, Washington Sun, "Democrats Cut Their Ad Spending in North Carolina After Republican Retreat," Oct. 6, 2026. https://www.washingtonsun.com/campaigns/roy-cooper-michael-whatley-democrats-cut-ad-spending-north-carolina-republican-retreat
  28. Roy Cooper campaign, "Knew" ad release, Sept. 22, 2026. https://roycooper.com/new-tv-ad-michael-whatley-appointed-known-convicted-child-sex-predator-to-top-roles-in-ncgop/
  29. PolitiFact, on whether Whatley appointed West, March 31, 2026. https://www.politifact.com/article/2026/mar/31/did-michael-whatley-appoint-a-sex-offender-to-part/
  30. WITN First Alert Investigates, on Whatley and West, July 21, 2026. https://www.witn.com/2026/07/21/witn-first-alert-investigates-what-is-michael-whatleys-connection-sex-offender-harvey-west-jr/
  31. North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, offender 0688894. https://webapps.doc.state.nc.us/opi/viewoffender.do?method=view&offenderID=0688894
  32. Paul Specht, PolitiFact, "In NC's US Senate race, political ads misleadingly link Cooper's COVID-era inmate release to unrelated murders," Sept. 9, 2026. https://www.politifact.com/article/2026/sep/09/in-ncs-us-senate-race-political-ads-misleadingly-link-coopers-covid-era-inmate-release-to-unrelated-murders/
  33. Paul Specht, PolitiFact, "'Blood-soaked killing fields': Fact-checking Trump and Whatley's claims about Cooper and crime in North Carolina," Sept. 17, 2026. https://www.politifact.com/article/2026/sep/17/blood-soaked-killing-fields-fact-checking-trump-and-whatleys-claims-about-cooper-and-crime-in-north-carolina/
  34. FactCheck.org, on an ad attacking Cooper, Aug. 26, 2026. https://www.factcheck.org/2026/08/ad-attacking-cooper-makes-false-connection-to-murder/
  35. The Associated Press, "Sex offender resigns as NC alternate GOP delegate," Aug. 3, 2012, via North Carolina Lawyers Weekly (no byline found; apnews.com original not found). https://nclawyersweekly.com/2012/08/03/sex-offender-resigns-as-nc-alternate-gop-delegate/
  36. Ben Whedon, Just the News, "Thom Tillis endorses Michael Whatley in NC Senate race," Oct. 8, 2026. https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/thom-tillis-endorses-michael-whatley-nc-senate-race
  37. Colin Campbell, WUNC, "Will North Carolina's US Senate race feature any debates this year?" Sept. 10, 2026. https://www.wunc.org/politics/2026-09-10/nc-us-senate-race-debates-local-interviews-whatley-cooper
  38. Libertarian Party of North Carolina, "Bray and Dublin to Debate as Early Voting Opens," release dated Oct. 8, 2026 (web post dated Oct. 7, 2026). https://www.lpnc.org/bray_and_dublin_to_debate_as_early_voting_opens
  39. Julia Manchester, The Hill, on Trump saying he is "worried" about Whatley (also carries Jeff Allen's statement), Oct. 2, 2026. https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6126981-trump-worried-whatley-roy-cooper/
  40. Joe Edwards, Newsweek, "Nate Silver's Forecast Changes For DemocratsΓÇöSeats Most Likely to Flip," Oct. 8, 2026 (produced with Newsweek's AI assistant, per Newsweek). https://www.newsweek.com/nate-silvers-forecast-changes-for-democrats-seats-most-likely-to-flip-12542701
  41. James Bickerton, Newsweek, "Democrat Chances of Winning House, Senate Hit New HighΓÇöNate Silver Forecast," Oct. 9, 2026. https://www.newsweek.com/democrat-chances-of-winning-house-senate-hit-new-high-nate-silver-forecast-12545290
  42. Office of Gov. Henry McMaster, "Gov. McMaster appoints Darline Graham to U.S. Senate," July 13, 2026. https://governor.sc.gov/news/2026-07/gov-mcmaster-appoints-darline-graham-us-senate
  43. Congressional Record, Certificate of Appointment and oath of Darline Graham, July 14, 2026. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2026-07-14/html/CREC-2026-07-14-pt1-PgS3918-4.htm and https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2026-07-14/html/CREC-2026-07-14-pt1-PgS3918-5.htm
  44. Marshall Terry with Paul Specht, WFAE, "A closer look at those Cooper attack ads featuring grieving fathers," Sept. 9, 2026. https://www.wfae.org/politics/2026-09-09/a-closer-look-at-those-cooper-attack-ads-featuring-grieving-fathers
  45. The Associated Press, "Senate Republicans move cash from purple North Carolina to red Kansas as battle for majority shifts," Oct. 2, 2026, via PBS NewsHour (apnews.com URL and byline unverified). https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/senate-republicans-move-cash-from-north-carolina-to-kansas-as-battle-for-majority-shifts
  46. NBC News, "GOP super PAC pauses spending in North Carolina Senate race, shifting money to Kansas," Oct. 2, 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/gop-super-pac-pauses-spending-north-carolina-senate-race-shift-kansas-rcna601134

More from Grok SI News