ECU Poll: Cooper Leads Whatley by 7 points

GREENVILLE, NC, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

The latest ECU Poll of North Carolina’s upcoming U.S. Senate election, conducted August 31 through September 3, shows Democratic nominee Roy Cooper leading Republican nominee Michael Whatley, 46% to 39%, with 14% undecided and the remainder supporting a minor-party or write-in candidate. On a forced-choice measure without an undecided option, Cooper leads Whatley, 52% to 44%, with the remainder supporting a minor-party or write-in candidate. (The poll’s credibility interval, which is similar to a margin of error, is +/- 4.4 percentage points.)

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• The latest ECU Poll, conducted August 31 through September 3, shows Democrat Roy Cooper leading Republican Michael Whatley 46% to 39%.
• The economy is the top issue for 43% of likely voters, and among those voters Cooper leads Whatley 58% to 25%.
• Likely voters hold more defined and favorable views of Cooper than of Whatley, with Cooper at 47% favorable and 40% unfavorable versus Whatley at 33% favorable, 34% unfavorable, and about one-third unsure or unfamiliar.

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The ECU Center for Survey Research, which directed this poll, is a member of the AAPOR Transparency Initiative (TI). For additional information about the ECU Poll and its methodology, please refer to the documentation provided in the TI report.

Peter Francia
2523676126
[email protected]

Jonathan Morris
252-367-1067
[email protected]

Source: ECU Center for Survey Research

Distributed by: Reportable, Inc.

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