GREENVILLE, N.C., NOVEMBER 1, 2026
The latest ECU Poll of North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race, conducted October 26 through 29, finds Democrat Roy Cooper leading Republican Michael Whatley, 54% to 45%, with 1% supporting a minor-party or write-in candidate. The nine-point margin represents a slight increase from Cooper’s seven-point lead in our report last month. The poll has a credibility interval of ±3.5 percentage points, which is similar to a traditional margin of error.
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Key Takeaways:
- The latest ECU Poll of North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race finds Democrat Roy Cooper leading Republican Michael Whatley, 54% to 45%.
- Cooper’s lead is driven by a 14-point advantage among independent voters and a net-positive favorability rating (52% favorable to 39% unfavorable) compared with Whatley’s net-negative ratings (34% favorable, 44% unfavorable).
- Forty-seven percent of voters name the economy and cost of living as their top issue, and among these voters Cooper leads Whatley by a two-to-one margin, 67% to 33%.
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The Center for Survey Research at East Carolina University conducts nonpartisan public opinion polling on elections, politics, and public policy issues in North Carolina and across the nation.
Source: ECU Center for Survey Research
Distributed by: Reportable, Inc.
