Cooper and Whatley Skip Debate Ahead of Tuesday Vote

North Carolina voters will head to the polls on Tuesday without a formal debate between the two leading U.S. Senate candidates.

Roy Cooper and Michael Whatley have not met on a shared stage to answer questions or debate policy. This marks the first time in nearly 30 years that the state's top Senate contenders have skipped a public forum.

The two candidates have instead focused on one-on-one interviews with national media outlets. Cooper appeared on MS NOW, while Whatley spoke with Fox News. Neither candidate has participated in a joint event to compare platforms or respond to each other's positions.

The campaign features two distinct backgrounds. Cooper is a two-term former governor with high name recognition across the state. He benefits from a midterm cycle that analysts expect to favor Democrats. Whatley has never held public office. He is known to party members for leading the North Carolina Republican Party and later the national GOP, but remains a new face to most residents.

The absence of a debate leaves several key issues unaddressed in a direct comparison. Cooper faces questions about the ReBuild NC program. As of February 2026, more than 3,000 applicants were still waiting for construction on their homes to begin following Hurricane Florence. Critics point to delays and cost overruns in that recovery effort.

Whatley faces scrutiny over his role as the federal "recovery czar" for Hurricane Helene in 2024. Residents in Western North Carolina have expressed dissatisfaction with the federal response, noting that aid often went to higher-income households. He also must address his past lobbying work for the oil and gas industry and his stance on climate change.

Other unaddressed topics include the candidates' positions on Supreme Court nominees and the Israel-Gaza conflict. Cooper is expected to face questions about his bipartisan approach, including whether he would support specific Trump policies. Whatley must respond to the transfer of election authority to the state auditor and whether he would accept a loss if his party controls the elections boards. The race concludes with voting on Tuesday, with results determining who represents North Carolina in the U.S. Senate.