The 2026 race for the U.S. Senate is wide open after the announcement that Thom Tillis will not seek re-election. A Democrat hasn’t captured a North Carolina U.S. Senate seat since 2008, when Kay Hagan defeated Elizabeth Dole. On Tuesday, state Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced he’ll support former Governor Roy Cooper, even though Cooper has yet to enter the race. Former Congressman Wiley Nickel has officially declared his candidacy. Catawba College Political Science Professor Michael Bitzer joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the latest on the Senate race.
