Overview
- Democrat Roy Cooper and Republican Michael Whatley won their primaries Tuesday, setting up a nationally watched general election in North Carolina.
- Democrats must net four seats to retake the Senate, and party strategists view this open seat as central to that path.
- Federal Election Commission data shows Cooper has raised more than $21 million since July, compared with nearly $6.5 million for Whatley.
- Whatley, a Trump-aligned former RNC chair, is endorsed by the president, while Cooper is a two-term former governor with decades of statewide wins.
- Campaigns are drawing sharp contrasts on immigration, crime, hurricane recovery and affordability as operatives predict heavy outside spending that could approach record levels.