Roy Cooper discusses priorities for Senate run against Michael Whatley

North Carolina's primary election has handed political observers their first concrete data point of the 2026 cycle, with experts saying the most significant data point may have been buried in the uncontested Democratic U.S. Senate primary. Former Gov. Roy Cooper won the Democratic nomination in what Bitzer described as a coronation, yet more than 200,000 more voters participated in the Democratic primary than in the Republican primary. The gap caught the attention of analysts on both sides. MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/elections/north-carolina-primary-election-impacts-november-midterm-2026-elections-democrats-voter-turnout-momentum/275-d29afc2e-3205-463c-872d-47a38be6f589