{
  "id": 10541927,
  "title": "Cooper Flips Trump Margin with Independents by 29 Points as Whatley Flops",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/cooper-flips-trump-margin-with-independents-by-29-points-as-whatley",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-28T21:59:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Newsweek",
    "slug": "newsweek",
    "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/cooper-flips-trump-margin-with-independents-by-29-points-as-whatley-flops-12498753"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Democratic former Governor Roy Cooper leads Republican Michael Whatley by 25 points among independent voters in the latest North Carolina Senate race poll, a significant shift from President Donald Trump's 4-point victory among the key voting group in the 2024 election. The North Carolina Senate race is pivotal for Democrats in their bid to regain control of the Senate in November. Cooper, who previously served as chair of the Republican National Committee, now holds an 11-point overall lead over Whatley, who is attempting to unseat retiring GOP Senator Thom Tillis. Jeff Allen, Cooper's campaign manager, stated that North Carolina is a 50-50 state, and the race will be decided by a margin of error, which is why Cooper's campaign aims to secure every vote. The poll shows Cooper with 53% support, 42% for Whatley, and 5% undecided or undecided. Among independents, Cooper leads with 58% favorability, compared to Whatley's 33%, with 9% undecided or planning to vote for another candidate. This substantial lead among independents is particularly noteworthy as they supported Trump by four points in 2024, with 51% for Trump and 47% for Cooper. Cooper's favorable rating among independents stands at +13 points, while Whatley's is at -20 points. The AARP poll surveyed 1,115 likely voters from September 17 to September 20, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points. Overall, Trump's approval rating is below 50% among North Carolina voters, with 38% approving and 59% disapproving. Among independents, 26% approved of Trump, while 71% disapproved. Midterms have traditionally been viewed as a referendum on the president, often resulting in the president's party losing seats in the House and Senate. This rising frustration with the economy and gas prices has become a focal point for both Democratic and Republican campaigns. Recent polls have also favored Cooper, including a 5-point lead in a Quantus Insights survey and an 11-point lead in a YouGov poll. Prediction markets give Cooper a 94% chance of winning, further indicating his strong position in the race.",
  "summary": "Roy Cooper held a double-digit lead over Michael Whatley in the latest poll of the North Carolina Senate race.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}