Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley has launched his campaign for North Carolina's open U.S. Senate seat.

A new poll of the North Carolina Senate election points to a close race between former Governor Roy Cooper and Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley in what is likely to be one of the most competitive of the 2026 midterms. Matt Mercer, a North Carolina GOP spokesperson, told Newsweek that the poll should be "alarming for Democrats ."

The decision sets the stage for what is likely to be a heavyweight battle between a behind-the-scenes political insider and a former governor with a knack for winning unaffiliated voters.