CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper holds a six-point advantage over Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley in the 2026 U.S. Senate race, according to the first Emerson College Polling survey of the race.

Cooper leads Whatley 47% to 41%, with 12% of voters undecided in the poll examining the race to replace retiring Sen. Thom Tillis .

The survey reveals a significant disparity in name recognition between the candidates. Cooper enjoys much higher visibility among voters, with 51% viewing him favorably and 33% unfavorably. Only 3% of respondents said they were not familiar with the former governor.

In contrast, Whatley faces a substantial name recognition challenge. Just 17% of voters view him favorably, while 16% view him unfavorably. However, 36% said th

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