Voters in North Carolina will elect one member to the U.S. Senate in the general election on Nov. 3, 2026. Incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who first assumed office in 2015, announced that he would not seek re-election in 2026.

According to The Cook Political Report’s Amy Taylor, Tillis’ retirement makes the seat a “top pickup opportunity” for Democrats in the 2026 election cycle. Taylor also wrote, “The vulnerability of this seat, however, does not alter the overall Senate math for 2026. Even if Democrats were to win here in 2026, they’d still need to flip three more seats, including at least two in deep red states, in order to win a bare majority.”

Meanwhile, North Carolina State University’s Steven Greene said, “Tillis is widely disliked by a number of Republicans who maybe wouldn’t turn out to vote for him. And it’s possible that the Republicans are able to come together more unified behind a fresh face.”

As of July 5, 2025, noteworthy declared and potential candidates included the following. Click here to view all of the candidates for the seat.

• Wiley Nickel (D), who represented North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District from 2023 to 2025 (Declared)
• Roy Cooper (D), who served as governor of North Carolina from 2017 to 2025 (Potential)
• Lara Trump (R), who served as co-chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) from 2024 to 2025 (Potential)
• Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.), who has represented North Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District since 2019 (Potential)
• Michael Whatley (R), who has served as chair of the RNC since 2024 (Potential)

U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), former North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, and former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.) gained media attention as possible Republican candidates but have all said they will not run for the seat.

North Carolina’s delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives includes four Democrats and 10 Republicans. The state’s two U.S. Senators—Tillis and Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.)—are Republicans. The state’s most recent Democratic senator was Kay Hagan (D), who served from 2009 to 2015.

In the six presidential elections from 2004 to 2024, Republican presidential candidates won the state with the exception of the 2008 election. In the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won 50% of the vote to Joe Biden’s (D) 49%. In 2024, Trump won 51% of the vote to Kamala Harris’ (D) 48%.

North Carolina has a divided government where neither party holds a trifecta. Democrats control the governorship, while Republicans control both legislative chambers. North Carolina’s last Republican governor was Pat McCrory (R), who served from 2013 to 2017.

As of July 5, 2025, The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter and Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball each rated the general election Toss-up, while Inside Elections with Nathan Gonzalesrated it Battleground Republican. Click here for more information on race forecasts.

To learn more about other elections on the ballot, click here.