Then-Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat from North Carolina, speaks with reporters on Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Cooper is now running for the U.S. Senate in the 2026 midterm elections. (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)
His announcement was expected, as numerous news organizations, including Fox News, recently reported that the former governor would launch a campaign in the coming days.
And this past weekend, at the North Carolina Democrats "Unity Dinner," Cooper teased his run during his speech.
He grabbed cheers when he asked people to stand up if they were running for office in 2026 and said, "Hey, I'm not sitting down, am I."
Ahead of his launch, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), which is the Senate GOP's campaign arm, targeted Cooper in a digital ad.
"Roy Cooper is a Democrat lapdog who spent his time as Governor sabotaging President Trump, doing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' bidding, releasing violent illegal aliens into North Carolina streets, and championing radical transgender ideology," National Republican Senatorial Committee communications director Joanna Rodriguez charged in a statement Monday morning.
While Cooper isn't the only Democrat to announce their candidacy – former one-term Rep. Wiley Nickel launched a campaign in April – he will instantly be considered the clear front-runner for the party's nomination in North Carolina.
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Cooper, who was a popular governor during his eight years steering North Carolina, was floated last year as a possible running mate for then-Vice President Kamala Harris after she succeeded then-President Joe Biden as the Democrats' 2024 presidential nominee.
Cooper is likely to face off in next year's general election with Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Michael Whatley, in what would be one of the most competitive, bruising, and expensive Senate battles of 2026.
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina announced in late June that he wouldn't seek re-election in the 2026 midterm elections. (Getty Images)
Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law and a North Carolina native who served last year alongside Whatley as an RNC co-chair, was considered to be Trump's top choice to run for Tillis' seat.
But in a statement on Thursday, Lara Trump said "after much consideration and heartfelt discussions with my family, friends, and supporters, I have decided not to pursue the United States Senate seat in North Carolina at this time."
Whatley, who served as chair of the North Carolina GOP before being elected last year as RNC chair, said recently in a Fox News Digital interview that the Senate showdown in the Tar Heel State is "going to be one of the marquee races in the country."
Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast."
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