CONCORD, N.C. — Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper holds an 11-point lead over Republican Michael Whatley in a new Elon University poll, according to data released Thursday. Among likely voters, Cooper leads 49% to 38%, while the margin widens to 52% to 38% among registered voters. The poll, conducted from Sept. 5-10, surveyed 800 likely voters and arrives less than two months before Election Day.
The North Carolina Senate race is among Democrats' top opportunities to flip control of the chamber, where Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority. Democrats must defend their current seats—including in two states President Donald Trump won in 2024—and flip four others to reclaim the majority. North Carolina has not elected a Democratic senator since 2008 but has voted for Republican presidential candidates in 11 of the last 12 elections. Despite this, Democrats have won eight of the last nine governor races in the state.
Economic pressures shape voter priorities
Residents in Concord and surrounding Cabarrus County describe rising costs as a central challenge despite the region's economic growth. Rachel Wagoner, a Concord mother of three, said her family's budget has tightened due to higher grocery and gasoline prices, forcing her to consider returning to work after staying home. "Things her family once considered routine have now become a luxury, like eating out and shopping downtown," she told CNBC. Nichole Mattes, a mother in nearby Kannapolis, described rent, gasoline, and groceries as leaving her living paycheck to paycheck. "You can't be a single-income household right now," she said. "It feels impossible."
Cabarrus County has seen significant investment, including from Eli Lilly, alongside low unemployment and poverty rates below the national average. Yet residents report that prosperity has not translated to affordability. The cost-of-living squeeze has become a defining issue in the Senate race, with candidates staking out positions on economic relief.
Campaigns outline contrasting visions
Cooper, the Democratic nominee, has campaigned under the slogan "Make Stuff Cost Less," emphasizing policies to reduce expenses for working families. At a Sept. 2 event, he stated, "From the grocery store to the gas station, working families here in Concord and around the state are hurting as prices skyrocket." His campaign manager, Jeff Allen, accused Whatley of serving billionaires and special interests at the expense of the middle class, stating, "Roy Cooper has spent his career putting North Carolinians first."
Whatley, the Republican nominee and chair of the North Carolina Republican Party, has not directly addressed the poll results but has framed his campaign around conservative economic policies. The race reflects broader national debates over inflation, wage growth, and government intervention in the economy. Polling suggests that control of the Senate may hinge on turnout in competitive states like North Carolina, where economic anxiety remains a top voter concern.
The Senate race is one of several pivotal contests in the midterms, with Democrats seeking to regain control of the chamber amid economic uncertainty and shifting voter priorities.