Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) hinted over the weekend that he plans to run for the open U.S. Senate seat in his state during the 2026 election cycle.
The popular governor spoke at the North Carolina Democratic Party’s annual “Unity Dinner” on Saturday night, amid reports that he plans to launch a Senate bid soon.
“Everybody who’s planning to run for office next year, please stand up,” Cooper asked the crowd.
He then added: “I’m not sitting down, am I?”
The crowd cheered and chanted, “Run, Roy, run,” according to local reports.
Many Democrats have been hoping Cooper would enter the race, especially as Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) announced he would not run for reelection after bucking the president and voting against his massive tax and spending bill.
The event comes shortly after local reporting surfaced that former Rep. Wiley Nickel (D-N.C.), who launched his campaign for Senate in April, is now mulling whether to suspend his bid and instead run for an open district attorney position in Wake County.
Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley is running on the GOP side, with President Trump’s endorsement.
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