US Senate Election North Carolina

Midterm elections are the national elections held halfway through a president's four-year term. This year they fall on November 3, 2026. Voters will elect members of the House of Representatives and Senate, plus governors in states across the country. All 435 House seats are on the ballot, while 35 of the Senate's 100 seats are up, made up of 33 regular elections and two special elections.

Senators serve six-year terms, staggered so that roughly a third of the chamber is up every two years. House members serve two-year terms, so the whole chamber is re-elected each time.

How they affect US policy and government

Control of Congress. Congress writes laws and controls federal spending. When the opposition party wins a chamber, the president's agenda becomes much harder to pass.

Divided government. A split between the White House and Congress often leads to gridlock, forcing compromise or stalling major legislation, including budgets and appropriations.

Confirmations. Only the Senate confirms cabinet members, federal judges and Supreme Court justices, so Senate control shapes the courts for decades.

Oversight. The majority party chairs committees and can launch investigations, hold hearings and issue subpoenas.

Impeachment. The House can impeach and the Senate holds the trial, so control of both chambers matters in any confrontation with the president.

A verdict on the president. Midterms are generally dangerous territory for the party that holds the White House or Congress. They are widely read as a referendum on the sitting president.

Where the Senate stands now. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority, and Democrats would need to pick up four seats to take control.

Roy Cooper (Democratic):

Roy Cooper is a Nash County native and trained attorney. He served in the state legislature before becoming attorney general in 2000 and governor in 2016, and he announced his Senate run months after leaving office in 2025. He hasn't lost a North Carolina election since first running for the state House in the mid-1980s.

Michael Whatley (Republican):

Michael Whatley is a North Carolina Republican and the party's 2026 nominee for the U.S. Senate seat there. He chaired the North Carolina Republican Party from 2019 through 2024, and he later became chairman of the Republican National Committee, helping lead the GOP's efforts in the 2024 cycle.