2026 United States Senate election in North Carolina

Last updated

2026 United States Senate election in North Carolina
Flag of North Carolina.svg
  2020 November 3, 20262032 
 
Party Republican Democratic

Incumbent U.S. senator

Thom Tillis
Republican



The 2026 United States Senate election in North Carolina will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of North Carolina. Incumbent two-term Republican Senator Thom Tillis, was re-elected in 2020 with 48.7% of the vote against former State Senator Cal Cunningham. On June 10, 2023, the North Carolina Republican Party had censured Tillis over his bipartisan support on gun control and same-sex marriage. [1] Outgoing governor Roy Cooper, who is term-limited as governor in 2024, is considered a potential Democratic candidate.

Contents

Republican primary

Senator Thom Tillis is considered vulnerable to a primary challenger from his right. On June 10, 2023, the North Carolina Republican Party voted to censure Tillis for his support for the Respect for Marriage Act and immigration reform attempts. [2]

Candidates

Potential

Democratic primary

Candidates

Filed paperwork

Potential

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References

  1. Sonasundaram, Praveena (June 12, 2023). "North Carolina Republicans censure Sen. Thom Tillis after stance on LGBTQ issues" . The Washington Post.
  2. Berryman, Kim; Pellish, Aaron (June 11, 2023). "Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is censured by North Carolina GOP delegates at convention". CNN .
  3. Vitali, Ali (December 14, 2023). "Democrat Wiley Nickel to leave Congress after N.C. redistricting, teeing up 2026 Senate run". NBC News . Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  4. "FEC Form 2 for Report FEC-1738770". docquery.fec.gov. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  5. Fain, Travis (August 11, 2022). "Cooper laughs off 2026 Senate speculation, says he's 'open to new ideas' on teacher pay". WRAL-TV . Retrieved October 18, 2023.