A new poll from the East Carolina University Center for Survey Research shows Democrat Roy Cooper leading Republican Michael Whatley by nine percentage points in North Carolina's U.S. Senate race, with Election Day approaching. The survey, conducted October 26-29, found Cooper with 54% support to Whatley's 45%, while 1% backed a minor-party or write-in candidate. The nine-point margin marks a slight increase from Cooper's seven-point lead in the center's previous report last month.
The poll has a credibility interval of ±3.5 percentage points, similar to a traditional margin of error. The ECU Center for Survey Research conducts nonpartisan public opinion polling on elections, politics, and public policy issues in North Carolina and across the nation.
Cooper's lead is fueled by a 14-point advantage among independent voters, a key voting bloc in swing-state North Carolina. The poll also shows Cooper with a net-positive favorability rating of 52% favorable to 39% unfavorable, while Whatley holds net-negative ratings of 34% favorable to 44% unfavorable. Those numbers suggest the contest may be shaped as much by voters' views of the candidates as by party affiliation.
Economic concerns dominate the electorate's priorities: 47% of voters name the economy and cost of living as their top issue. Among those voters, Cooper leads Whatley by a two-to-one margin, 67% to 33%. That split is significant because it shows the Democrat winning decisively on the issue voters care about most, a dynamic that could influence the race's outcome.
The poll's findings matter beyond North Carolina. The Senate race is one of the contests that will determine control of the U.S. Senate, and a nine-point lead this close to Election Day suggests a potentially decisive advantage for Cooper. The results also indicate that independent voters and economic messaging may be pivotal in other competitive races nationwide.
For readers, the poll offers a snapshot of voter sentiment in the final days of the campaign, though all polls carry a measure of uncertainty. The credibility interval means the actual margin could be somewhat larger or smaller than nine points. The full announcement, including downloadable images and bios, is available click here.
The ECU poll adds to a growing body of survey data in the closing stretch of the 2026 midterm elections. With Cooper ahead by a slightly wider margin than a month ago, the race's trajectory favors the Democrat as voters prepare to cast ballots. The survey was distributed by Reportable, Inc.
