Category: North Carolina U.S. Senate Race

Centrist Independent Voter (CIVPAC) has endorsed former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper for the U.S. Senate in November.

North Carolina U.S. Senate endorsement graphic for Roy Cooper with the state outline and U.S. Capitol.

Cooper is not a perfect fit for CIVPAC. We disagree with him on some economic and education policies, and Republican Michael Whatley is closer to us on several issues, including school choice and parts of immigration and energy policy.

But Cooper brings a long record of competent statewide leadership, experience governing with a Republican legislature, and demonstrated willingness to reach bipartisan agreements. He has also supported Ukraine, taken a pragmatic approach to immigration, and shown a healthier understanding of the institutional role of an elected official.

Whatley, by contrast, has made loyalty to President Trump central to his campaign and previously echoed unsupported claims about widespread fraud in the 2020 election.

Elections require choices among the candidates actually running. On balance, Cooper is clearly the better choice.

Read the full CIVPAC endorsement of Roy Cooper.

See all CIVPAC 2026 candidate endorsements and races under review.

North Carolina General Election for U.S. Senate

North Carolina U.S. Senate Election

As Donald Trump’s problems mount, many Republican Senate candidates are now trying to distance themselves from him. Ted Budd, the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate for North Carolina, is an exception to that trend. He has doubled down on his association to Trump while also emphasizing his support for national legislation to restrict abortion after 15 weeks.

To see Budd’s positions on a number of issues, visit his website.

His Democratic opponent Cheri Beasley is the former Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. She is no centrist but counts as a moderate among Democrats, although her willingness to consider expanding the U.S. Supreme Court seems less than moderate.

To see Beasley’s positions on a number of issues, visit her website.

Those familiar with the Centrist Independent Voter’s Policy Positions will know that we don’t align well with either of these candidates.

Nevertheless, the Centrist Independent Voter endorses Cheri Beasley for the U.S. Senate seat from North Carolina. We do so because of Budd’s close association with Trump and because Beasley is more moderate than most of the Democratic Party.