Election 2026: No change in Cooper’s 14-point lead in Catawba poll

(The Center Square) – New polling, same result.

Democrat Roy Cooper is leading Republican Michael Whatley by 14% in the race for the U.S. Senate according to polling by the Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service at Catawba College. The candidates are vying to succeed Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, and Cooper’s lead just over two months ago is exactly the same.

The polling in conjunction with YouGov sampled 905 likely voters between June 1-10 and carries a +/- 3.83% margin of error.

The survey returned an approval rating of 43% and a disapproval rating of 54% for second-term Republican President Donald Trump.

“Cooper’s advantage is not simply a function of Democratic support,” said Dr. Michael Bitzer, director of Catawba College’s Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service, which wrote and paid for the survey. “His lead is being driven by independents, who currently support him by more than 2 to 1 over Whatley. That independent vote can often be a decisive factor in statewi...