Race · November 3, 2026

U.S. Senate · North Carolina

4 candidates on the ballot — an open seat, with no incumbent running.1,2,3

§1Candidates

Why this matters: Every candidate the state lists for this race on the November ballot, in the state's own order.

Michael Dublin
Green Party · Open seat
Roy Cooper
Democratic Party · Open seat
Shannon W. Bray
Libertarian Party · Open seat
Michael Whatley
Republican Party · Open seat

§2Side by side

Why this matters: The same facts for every candidate, in the same order. Where we found nothing for a candidate, the cell says so — that means we didn't find it in public sources, not that it doesn't exist.

Scroll sideways on small screens. Select a name for the full page.
Michael DublinRoy CooperShannon W. BrayMichael Whatley
Party on the ballotGreen Party1,2,3Democratic Party1,2,3Libertarian Party1,2,3Republican Party1,2,3
StatusOpen seatOpen seatOpen seatOpen seat
Raised$28,231 through October 14, 20264$49,585,341 through October 14, 20265Not found in the public sources we checked$13,668,468 through October 14, 20266
Cash on hand$2,9964$9,088,8605Not found in the public sources we checked$902,2386
Outside spendingNot found in the public sources we checked$4,426,503 for · $42,303,956 against7Not found in the public sources we checked$6,361,076 for · $23,404,419 against8
Data centers and electricity costs
Pause or limit new data centers
His platform opposes the expansion of data centers and supports a moratorium on building new ones.9
Require data centers to pay the full cost of the power plants and lines they need
His campaign website says data centers should pay the full cost of the power they use without passing it on to consumers, and that local communities should be fully involved in decisions about new data centers.10		Not found in the public sources we checkedNot found in the public sources we checked
Health insurance system
One government plan for everyone (Medicare for All)
His platform supports free, high-quality health care for all, and bringing drug companies and for-profit hospitals under public ownership so that care costs patients nothing.9		Not found in the public sources we checked
Fewer federal insurance rules and more private plan choices, with aid paid to individuals
His campaign website supports repealing top-down federal health care mandates, expanding health savings accounts, state-led health care solutions and more price transparency.11		Not found in the public sources we checked
Immigration enforcement inside the country
Abolish ICE and move any remaining enforcement work to other agencies
His platform supports abolishing ICE and ending immigrant detention and deportations.9		Not found in the public sources we checkedNot found in the public sources we checkedHis campaign website says he fully supports President Trump's efforts to secure the border and to deport what it describes as millions of immigrants in the country illegally who have committed crimes.12,13
Federal spending levelsNot found in the public sources we checkedNot found in the public sources we checkedHis campaign website supports capping federal spending to slow the growth of the debt.14His campaign website calls for reining in federal spending and practicing fiscal responsibility.13

Issues only one candidate has addressed

By candidate, in ballot order. We found nothing public from the other candidates in this race on these issues.

Michael Dublin — 17 issues
  • Abortion law
    His platform supports the right to choose whether and when to have children, including free, safe, legal and accessible abortion.9
  • Birth control and IVF
    His platform supports free contraceptives.9
  • Animal welfare laws
    His platform says he supports animal rights and has signed the Green Party Animal Rights Committee's candidate pledge.9
  • Voting Rights Act protections
    His campaign website says he would protect and expand voting rights and work to end voter suppression.15
  • Death penalty
    Abolish it
    His platform supports abolishing the death penalty.9
  • Police funding
    His campaign website supports investing in community-based alternatives to policing and in community-based policing that uses mental health professionals and conflict resolution counselors, and placing police departments under elected civilian boards that set their budgets.9,15
  • Federal minimum wage
    Raise to $15 or more
    His platform supports raising the federal minimum wage to $25 an hour, adjusted each year for the cost of living.9
  • Campaign finance rules
    Limit spending by outside groups, including by amending the Constitution to overturn Citizens United
    His campaign website calls for overturning the Citizens United decision and passing comprehensive campaign finance reform.15
  • Drawing district lines (redistricting)
    His campaign website says he would work to end gerrymandering.15
  • Oil and gas drilling on federal land and offshore
    Stop or sharply limit new leases
    His platform supports banning new oil and gas drilling and a planned transition to 100% renewable energy.9
  • Paid family and medical leave
    His platform supports 12 months of paid parental leave.9
  • Military spending
    Cut military spending
    His platform supports sharply cutting the U.S. military budget and redirecting the money to health care, public education and affordable housing.9,15
  • US role in NATO
    Leave NATO
    His platform supports abolishing NATO and other alliances it calls imperialist.9
  • Homelessness
    His platform calls for ending the criminalization of homelessness.9
  • Limits on rent increases
    Freeze rents or keep yearly increases low, as in traditional rent control
    His platform supports universal rent control and a large expansion of publicly owned, permanently affordable housing.9
  • Legal status for immigrants here without permission, including Dreamers
    His platform supports immediate, unconditional legal status and equal rights for all immigrants who are in the country without permission.9
  • Social Security benefit levels
    Increase benefits, for example with larger yearly cost-of-living raises
    His platform opposes any cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid and supports substantially increasing their benefits.9
Roy Cooper — 7 issues
  • Tariffs
    Lower or remove most tariffs
    His campaign website says he would end the administration's tariffs, which it says are raising costs for farmers, grocery shoppers and home builders.16,17
  • Child care costs
    His campaign website says he would expand the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, invest in the child care workforce, cut unnecessary regulations for child care facilities and offer tax credits to employers who help with child care.18
  • ACA premium tax credits
    His campaign website says he would reinstate the expired Affordable Care Act premium tax credits.19
  • Federal Medicaid funding
    Reverse the 2025 changes or increase federal funding
    His campaign website says he would reverse recent cuts to Medicaid.19
  • Large investors buying single-family homes
    His campaign website says he supports stopping large corporations, investment funds and foreign companies from buying single-family homes.17
  • Zoning and new housing
    His campaign website says he would offer incentives for apartment and modular construction, streamline rules, speed up reviews and help convert commercial buildings to housing.17
  • Medicare drug price negotiation
    Expand it to more drugs and to people with private insurance
    His campaign website says he would require Medicare to broaden its drug price negotiations to make more medicines affordable, and would cap yearly out-of-pocket prescription costs.19
Shannon W. Bray — 12 issues
  • Foreign intelligence surveillance (FISA Section 702)
    His campaign website supports ending mass surveillance without probable cause and restoring Fourth Amendment protections against warrantless surveillance.20
  • Mandatory minimum sentences
    Reduce or end mandatory minimums for nonviolent drug crimes
    His campaign website supports reducing mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent offenses and ending civil asset forfeiture without a conviction.21
  • Cryptocurrency rules
    His campaign website supports protecting the right to own and use digital assets, clear and fair regulatory rules, and opposes intrusive IRS surveillance.22
  • Federal Reserve independence
    His campaign website supports greater transparency and oversight of monetary policy and opposes a government-controlled digital currency.23
  • US Department of Education
    His campaign website supports reducing federal control over education and encouraging parental choice and local decision-making.24
  • Carbon taxes and cap-and-trade
    No tax, fee or cap-and-trade on carbon emissions
    His campaign website opposes carbon taxes.25
  • Nuclear power
    His campaign website supports nuclear and next-generation energy, and favors innovation over mandates.25
  • Conservation and development on federal lands
    His campaign website supports protecting private property owners, preventing federal land overreach and voluntary conservation.26
  • Who decides on military action
    Require Congress to approve military action in advance, except to defend against an attack
    His campaign website supports requiring congressional authorization for military action and ending undeclared wars.27
  • Legal immigration levels
    His campaign website supports enforcing existing immigration laws and streamlining legal immigration.28
  • Business tax breaks
    Cut back many of these breaks and use the money for lower tax rates, deficit reduction or other priorities
    His campaign website supports simplifying the tax code and ending corporate handouts and special-interest loopholes.14
  • Data privacy
    His campaign website says people should own their data, with consent for each use that is specific, revocable and enforceable through tamper-evident audit records and penalties for violations.29
Michael Whatley — 3 issues
  • Cash bail and pretrial release
    Require bail or jail before trial for more charges
    His campaign website says he would work to roll back cashless bail and expanded pretrial release.12,13
  • State and local role in immigration enforcement
    His campaign website criticizes the veto of a state bill that would have required local sheriffs to cooperate with ICE.13
  • Federal disaster aid (FEMA)
    His campaign website says President Trump chose him to serve on the FEMA Review Council, which it says is meant to improve disaster response, and that he has worked with the administration to deliver Hurricane Helene recovery aid to North Carolina.13

Issue statements are drafted by AI from the public sources cited, and only cover what each candidate has said publicly.