ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Democratic candidate Roy Cooper leads Republican nominee Michael Whatley by nearly eight points in the race for an open U.S. Senate seat in North Carolina, according to new polling discussed with Buncombe County voters in Asheville, N.C.
The latest polling cited in local reporting shows Cooper with 48.8% support compared with Whatley at 40.9%. Among voters ages 65 and older, the numbers shift, with Whatley at 50.2% and Cooper at 39.9%. Young voters favor Cooper in the cited figures, including about 69% support among younger respondents, though turnout among that group remains an open question.
Some Republican and independent voters in Buncombe County said they are considering splitting tickets or weighing Cooper record as governor against Whatley campaign performance. Western Carolina University political scientist Dr. Chris Cooper said polling shows younger voters favoring Roy Cooper while cautioning that younger voters often participate at lower rates.
U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis is listed among Asheville civic officials as a current North Carolina senator with a public contact page, underscoring that the open seat race will reshape the state Senate delegation alongside the remaining incumbent line.
Familiarity with Cooper tenure as governor is emerging as a factor for some Buncombe County Republicans interviewed for the report, while other voters said they still plan to back Whatley despite the polling gap.
The open Senate contest remains a central midterm race for western North Carolina voters as early voting approaches and campaigns push turnout messages in Buncombe County and across the mountains.
