Former North Carolina Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper raised a record $3.4 million in the first 24 hours of his Senate candidacy, shattering the previous record by nearly $1 million, Politico reported Tuesday.
Cooper, who termed out as governor in 2024, launched his candidacy to replace outgoing Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who announced last month he would not seek reelection in the 2026 midterms.
Cooper's fundraising haul shattered the previous one-day record set by Amy McGrath in Kentucky, who raised $2.5 million in her failed bid to unseat Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in 2020, according to the report.
Cooper's 2026 race against Republican Michael Whatley is likely to be one of the most expensive in the cycle. Whatley, chair of the Republican National Committee, is expected to launch his bid in the coming days with the backing of President Donald Trump.
Cooper was the only Democrat to win a gubernatorial race in a state carried by Trump in 2020. Cooper was first elected governor in 2016, when Trump also carried North Carolina over Hillary Clinton.
Cooper, former chair of the Democratic Governors Association, raised $2.6 million directly, with 95% of those donations totaling $100 or less, Politico reported. He raised another $900,000 into joint fundraising committees, according to the report.
Cooper, also a former four-term attorney general of North Carolina, is expected to cruise to the Democrat nomination. Former Rep. Wiley Nickel ended his candidacy earlier Tuesday and endorsed Cooper.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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