North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper officially launched his campaign for the U.S. Senate seat on Monday, signaling a significant Democratic effort to flip a Republican-held seat in next year’s midterm elections.
The big picture: The seat opened after two-term Republican Senator Thom Tillis announced his retirement, following public attacks from former President Donald Trump linked to the Senate vote on a major tax-cut and spending bill.
- The new tax legislation, carrying an estimated $3 trillion price tag, is a key focus of Cooper’s campaign, which frames the Republicans’ fiscal policies as harmful to healthcare, veterans, the poor, Medicare, and Social Security.
- Cooper criticized politicians in Washington for prioritizing tax breaks for billionaires at the expense of average Americans, emphasizing his opposition in a recent campaign video statement.
Go deeper: At 68, Cooper has strong electoral credentials in a politically competitive state that favored Trump in recent presidential elections, positioning him as the Democratic frontrunner in the primary.
- His primary challenger is former U.S. Representative Wiley Nickel, but Cooper’s established track record gives him an advantage in securing the nomination.
- On the Republican side, Lara Trump, former President Trump’s daughter-in-law, formally declined to run for the open Senate seat last week.
- This sets up a possible general election contest between Cooper and Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley.
Zoom out: Nationally, Democrats face a difficult Senate landscape, needing to defend retiring incumbents in Michigan, Minnesota, and New Hampshire, and flip at least four GOP seats to gain Senate majority control.
