Election 2026: Younger voters, Black voters give Cooper double-digit poll edge

Younger voters and Black voters, says AARP, help give Democrat Roy Cooper a 53%-42% lead over Republican Michael Whatley in polling for North Carolina's U.S. Senate seat in the 2026 midterms. Voting has been underway since ballots went into the mail Sept. 4. AARP, the nonprofit nonpartisan organization advocating for peoples ages 50 and older, surveyed 1,115 likely voters statewide Sept. 17-20 and has a +/- 2.9% margin of error. For ages 18-49, Cooper led Whatley 66%-27%. For voters 50 and older, Whatley led 51%-45%. For men ages 50 and older, Whatley led 56%-40% and for women ages 50 and older, Cooper led 49%-46%. Along racial lines for all ages sampled, Cooper led 80%-14% with Black respondents and Whatley led 50%-45% with whites. The poll did not offer other racial or ethnic differences. This U.S. Senate seat is viewed as a major player nationally in the quest for a majority in the chamber. Republicans have 53 seats today. In no particular order, Ohio, Michigan, Georgia, Maine, Iowa, New Hampshire, Alaska, Texas and Montana are the other top battlegrounds among 35 races. Two of those are special elections, the other 33 are in regular rotation. Whatley is seeking his first elected public office. He was the hand-picked chairman of the Republican National Committee by Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential cycle. Cooper has 38 years in elected public office, dating to his first win in the North Carolina House of Representatives five decades ago, time in the state Senate, four four-year terms as state attorney general, and the maximum allowed two four-year terms as governor. In a statement, AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond said, "Older voters are highly engaged, motivated to vote, and likely to determine close midterm races. Candidates looking to gain an edge must speak to their everyday concerns, including whether Social Security will be there for them and if they'll be able to keep up with rising prices for everyday essentials like groceries, gasoline and healthcare." For voters ages 50 and older, the top issues (ranking it first or second combined percentage) is rising prices and affordability (40%), threats to democracy (29%), Social Security and Medicare (25%), immigration and border security (23%), and taxes, government spending and debt (20%). For voters ages 18-49, the top issues were rising prices and affordability (57%), threats to democracy (26%), taxes, government spending and debt (20%), foreign policy and military defense (16%), and healthcare (14%). Elsewhere in the poll for all voters, second-term Republican President Donald Trump was a minus-21 in approval rating (59% disapprove, 38% approve), first-term U.S. Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., was a minus-11 in approval rating (39% disapprove, 28% approve), and first-term Democratic Gov. Josh Stein was a plus-19 in approval rating (51% approve, 32% disapprove). Absentee voting began on Sept. 4 with the mailing of ballots to the nearly 50,000 requesting them, opening a 61-day window to Nov. 3. Oct. 9 is the voter registration deadline. Absentee requests do not require a reason; anyone can file with their respective counties. The deadline for an absentee ballot in the mail to be in a county election board office is when the polls close at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 3; the request deadline is 5 p.m. on Oct. 20. Early in-person voting is Oct. 15-31, and same-day registration is permitted.