A U.S. senator represents the entire state in one chamber of Congress. Senators vote on federal laws and spending, and consider nominations and treaties. A regular term is six years.
Six-year term beginning January 3, 2027. Current-holder context from the October 19 roster: Thom Tillis. Current service alone does not establish candidacy.
Draft race overview · checked 2026-10-20
The race at a glance
North Carolina votes for U.S. Senate on November 3, 2026, in the general election. The compiled field contains 4 candidate records, including separately labeled reported write-ins where applicable. Linked candidate cards contain attributed campaign priorities, reported statements, or selected official records for 4 of 4 candidates. These evidence categories are distinct. Ballot finality, individual research gaps, and last-checked dates remain visible; missing evidence does not establish a candidate’s position.
Candidates below appear alphabetically by displayed name, with the same format regardless of party. Ballot order is not inferred. Reported affiliations, including parentheses, remain as supplied by sources.
Candidate research entries
Green · reported affiliation
Michael Dublin
NC published candidate list · later changes pending
Michael Dublin describes himself as a recently retired public school educator, community activist and veteran. His campaign biography also describes more than two decades leading a prison ministry. His Green Party campaign emphasizes economic redistribution, public services, renewable energy and a smaller military budget, and says it refuses corporate PAC donations.
Meet Michael · reviewed 2026-10-20. Campaign accounts are attributed material, not independently verified accomplishments.
Campaign-linked website ↗Research link; campaign affiliation and current applicability may require confirmation.
Selected evidence
Campaign statement / proposal
Dublin supports a $25 federal minimum wage with annual cost-of-living adjustments and a 32-hour workweek without reduced pay or benefits.
Michael Whatley previously chaired the North Carolina Republican Party and the Republican National Committee. His campaign biography lists a law degree from Notre Dame and earlier work as a federal law clerk. His Senate campaign centers on advancing President Trump’s agenda, border enforcement, public safety, spending restraint and domestic energy.
About Michael · reviewed 2026-10-20. Campaign accounts are attributed material, not independently verified accomplishments.
Campaign-linked website ↗Research link; campaign affiliation and current applicability may require confirmation.
Selected evidence
Campaign statement / proposal
Whatley supports restraining federal spending and expanding American energy production as a route to jobs and energy independence.
Whatley supports President Trump’s border-security and deportation policies, emphasizing removal of immigrants unlawfully present who have committed crimes.
Roy Cooper is a lawyer and former North Carolina governor. His campaign biography describes prior service in the state legislature and four terms as attorney general. He was elected governor in 2016 and reelected in 2020. His Senate campaign emphasizes household costs, including health care, energy and housing.
Meet Roy · reviewed 2026-10-20. Campaign accounts are attributed material, not independently verified accomplishments.
Campaign-linked website ↗Research link; campaign affiliation and current applicability may require confirmation.
Selected evidence
Campaign statement / proposal
Cooper proposes restoring ACA tax credits, reversing Medicaid cuts, expanding Medicare drug-price negotiations and capping annual prescription expenses.
Cooper proposes making data centers pay their full power costs, modernizing the grid and prohibiting utility disconnections during dangerous heat or cold.
Cooper supports incentives for more housing, restrictions on large corporate single-family-home purchases and a ban on coordinated algorithmic rent setting.
Shannon Bray describes himself as a Navy veteran and cybersecurity professional with experience working on systems that handle sensitive information and critical infrastructure. His Senate campaign emphasizes civil liberties, privacy, government oversight and technical competence. He presents constitutional limits and individual choice as guiding principles for federal policy.
About Shannon Bray · reviewed 2026-10-20. Campaign accounts are attributed material, not independently verified accomplishments.
Campaign-linked website ↗Research link; campaign affiliation and current applicability may require confirmation.
Selected evidence
Campaign statement / proposal
Bray supports simpler taxes, ending corporate handouts and special-interest loopholes, and capping federal spending to slow debt growth.
These summaries describe campaign statements and proposals, not enacted policies or verified results. The six topics are shown for every candidate; a missing field does not establish opposition or lack of a position. This remains a partial comparison, not an endorsement.
Scroll within the table to compare more topics or candidates. The headings stay visible.
Reviewed North Carolina Senate comparison · October 20, 2026
Cooper proposes making data centers pay their full power costs, modernizing the grid and prohibiting utility disconnections during dangerous heat or cold.
Whatley supports President Trump’s border-security and deportation policies, emphasizing removal of immigrants unlawfully present who have committed crimes.
Cooper supports incentives for more housing, restrictions on large corporate single-family-home purchases and a ban on coordinated algorithmic rent setting.
North Carolina’s ordinary closing time is 7:30 p.m. Eastern, subject to official extensions. A closing time does not establish when the result will be known.
No election returns, source calls or certifications are connected here. The scoreboard’s example results remain separately labelled simulations.
North Carolina official results resources ↗. The documented dashboard cadence is 5–10 minutes on election night; this is not this site’s publishing schedule. The November machine feed and candidate mappings remain unverified.
Source links and dates accompany each background and evidence item. Certification of a candidate list is separate from certification of election results. Campaign claims, reported statements, historical positions and roll-call responses retain their original categories.
2026 general candidate list by contest: federal and state · North Carolina State Board of ElectionsOfficial published list reviewed. Not proof of final certified ballot or separately qualified write-ins. Contact details deliberately excluded. · checked 2026-10-19 · published 2026-10-13
Meet Michael · Michael Dublin campaignCandidate-controlled source; statements describe proposals and self-reported background, not independent verification of accomplishments. · checked 2026-10-20
Our Platform · Michael Dublin campaignCandidate-controlled source; statements describe proposals and self-reported background, not independent verification of accomplishments. · checked 2026-10-20
Meet Roy · Roy Cooper campaignCandidate-controlled source; statements describe proposals and self-reported background, not independent verification of accomplishments. · checked 2026-10-20
Making Health Care Affordable · Roy Cooper campaignCandidate-controlled source; statements describe proposals and self-reported background, not independent verification of accomplishments. · checked 2026-10-20 · published 2026-09-05
Lowering Energy & Utility Costs · Roy Cooper campaignCandidate-controlled source; statements describe proposals and self-reported background, not independent verification of accomplishments. · checked 2026-10-20 · published 2026-09-05
Lowering Housing Costs · Roy Cooper campaignCandidate-controlled source; statements describe proposals and self-reported background, not independent verification of accomplishments. · checked 2026-10-20 · published 2026-09-05
About Shannon Bray · Shannon Bray campaignCandidate-controlled source; statements describe proposals and self-reported background, not independent verification of accomplishments. · checked 2026-10-20
Economy & Taxes · Shannon Bray campaignCandidate-controlled source; statements describe proposals and self-reported background, not independent verification of accomplishments. · checked 2026-10-20
Healthcare · Shannon Bray campaignCandidate-controlled source; statements describe proposals and self-reported background, not independent verification of accomplishments. · checked 2026-10-20
Energy & Environment · Shannon Bray campaignCandidate-controlled source; statements describe proposals and self-reported background, not independent verification of accomplishments. · checked 2026-10-20
Immigration & Borders · Shannon Bray campaignCandidate-controlled source; statements describe proposals and self-reported background, not independent verification of accomplishments. · checked 2026-10-20
About Michael · Michael Whatley campaignCandidate-controlled source; statements describe proposals and self-reported background, not independent verification of accomplishments. · checked 2026-10-20
Michael’s Plan for North Carolina · Michael Whatley campaignCandidate-controlled source; statements describe proposals and self-reported background, not independent verification of accomplishments. · checked 2026-10-20
NC 2026 general election: statewide offices and Congress · The Green PapersSecondary election-tracking source. Not an independent review of every underlying authority document. No party-based policy inference. · checked 2026-10-20
NC official November ballot source, transcribed via Election.org · Election.org transcription of linked election authoritySecondary structured transcription, kept separate from FEC filings. Authority document downloaded for cross-checking; record-level review status is separate. · checked 2026-10-20
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Structure → process → policies → people. Explanations for learning and research, with no prior knowledge assumed.
