Federal

U.S. Senator

Vote for: 1
Term: 6 years
Candidates: 4
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: A U.S. senator votes on federal laws, confirms federal judges and cabinet members, and ratifies treaties; North Carolina elects two for six-year terms.

Candidates Compare by issue

Michael Dublin

Green

The gist

Supports overturning Citizens United and campaign finance reform.
Supports a Green New Deal with union green jobs.
Supports banning new oil and gas drilling.
Supports raising the federal minimum wage to $25.
Supports free health care for all and paid parental leave.
Supports abolishing ICE and ending deportations.
Supports universal rent control and more public housing.
Supports cutting the military budget to fund domestic programs.

More about Michael

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Supports overturning Citizens United and campaign finance reform.
Our Platform: The Four Pillars
Campaign website · Michael Dublin for U.S. Senate · dublinforcongress.com
“We will fight to get big money out of politics by overturning Citizens United and passing comprehensive campaign finance reform.”
Supports a Green New Deal with union green jobs.
Platform: bold policies for working families, the planet, and a more just future
Campaign website · Michael Dublin for U.S. Senate · dublinforcongress.com
“I stand for a Green New Deal featuring a unionized, living-wage green jobs program.”
Supports banning new oil and gas drilling.
Platform: bold policies for working families, the planet, and a more just future
Campaign website · Michael Dublin for U.S. Senate · dublinforcongress.com
“I support banning new oil and gas drilling and taking the top polluting companies into democratic public ownership”
Supports raising the federal minimum wage to $25.
Platform: bold policies for working families, the planet, and a more just future
Campaign website · Michael Dublin for U.S. Senate · dublinforcongress.com
“I support raising the federal minimum wage to $25 an hour”
Supports free health care for all and paid parental leave.
Platform: bold policies for working families, the planet, and a more just future
Campaign website · Michael Dublin for U.S. Senate · dublinforcongress.com
“I support 12 months of paid parental leave and free, high-quality healthcare for all”
Supports abolishing ICE and ending deportations.
Platform: bold policies for working families, the planet, and a more just future
Campaign website · Michael Dublin for U.S. Senate · dublinforcongress.com
“I support abolishing ICE and getting rid of immigrant detention centers and deportations.”
Supports universal rent control and more public housing.
Platform: bold policies for working families, the planet, and a more just future
Campaign website · Michael Dublin for U.S. Senate · dublinforcongress.com
“I support a massive expansion of publicly owned, permanently affordable housing. I stand for universal rent control”
Supports cutting the military budget to fund domestic programs.
Platform: bold policies for working families, the planet, and a more just future
Campaign website · Michael Dublin for U.S. Senate · dublinforcongress.com
“I stand for drastically cutting the US military budget and redirecting those funds toward free universal healthcare”

Roy Cooper

Democratic

The gist

Pledges to end tariffs that raise farmers' costs.
Proposes banning algorithms that set grocery prices per customer.
Supports reinstating ACA tax credits and reversing Medicaid cuts.
Proposes capping yearly out-of-pocket prescription drug costs.
Supports banning corporate investors from buying single-family homes.
Proposes banning algorithm-driven rent-setting software.
Supports making data centers pay their full power costs.
Proposes expanding the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit.

More about Roy

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Pledges to end tariffs that raise farmers' costs.
Make Food and Groceries Cost Less
Campaign website · Roy Cooper for North Carolina · roycooper.com
“Roy would put an end to these tariffs, and make sure that farmers who keep our state moving can thrive.”
Proposes banning algorithms that set grocery prices per customer.
Make Food and Groceries Cost Less
Campaign website · Roy Cooper for North Carolina · roycooper.com
“Ban algorithms on grocery pricing to make it illegal for companies to raise the price of groceries based on a specific customer.”
Supports reinstating ACA tax credits and reversing Medicaid cuts.
Make Health Care Cost Less
Campaign website · Roy Cooper for North Carolina · roycooper.com
“Reinstate the ACA tax credits and reverse Medicaid cuts.”
Proposes capping yearly out-of-pocket prescription drug costs.
Make Health Care Cost Less
Campaign website · Roy Cooper for North Carolina · roycooper.com
“Cap annual prescription drug out-of-pocket costs for consumers. … Require Medicare to broaden negotiations with drug makers to make more prescription medicines affordable.”
Supports banning corporate investors from buying single-family homes.
Make Housing Cost Less
Campaign website · Roy Cooper for North Carolina · roycooper.com
“Roy Cooper supports banning corporate investors from buying single-family homes, ensuring that they can't drive up prices for families.”
Proposes banning algorithm-driven rent-setting software.
Make Housing Cost Less
Campaign website · Roy Cooper for North Carolina · roycooper.com
“Roy Cooper's plan would ban the algorithm-driven software used by landlords to increase your rent.”
Supports making data centers pay their full power costs.
Lower Energy and Utility Costs
Campaign website · Roy Cooper for North Carolina · roycooper.com
“Make sure data centers pay the full cost of all the power they use and prevent costs from being passed on to consumers.”
Proposes expanding the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit.
Lower the Cost of Child Care
Campaign website · Roy Cooper for North Carolina · roycooper.com
“Expand the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit to support working families and put money back in people's pockets.”

Shannon W. Bray

Libertarian

The gist

Supports ending civil asset forfeiture without a conviction.
Supports reducing mandatory minimums for nonviolent offenses.
Supports capping federal spending and simplifying the tax code.
Opposes mass surveillance without probable cause.
Supports expanding HSAs and repealing federal health care mandates.
Supports enforcing immigration laws and streamlining legal immigration.
Supports requiring congressional authorization for military action.
Supports nuclear energy and ending market-distorting subsidies.

More about Shannon

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Supports ending civil asset forfeiture without a conviction.
Criminal Justice Reform
Campaign website · Shannon Bray for U.S. Senate · shannonbray.us
“Ending civil asset forfeiture without conviction”
Supports reducing mandatory minimums for nonviolent offenses.
Criminal Justice Reform
Campaign website · Shannon Bray for U.S. Senate · shannonbray.us
“Reducing mandatory minimums for nonviolent offenses”
Supports capping federal spending and simplifying the tax code.
Economy & Taxes
Campaign website · Shannon Bray for U.S. Senate · shannonbray.us
“Capping federal spending to slow debt growth … Simplifying the tax code to reward work and productivity”
Opposes mass surveillance without probable cause.
Privacy & Civil Liberties
Campaign website · Shannon Bray for U.S. Senate · shannonbray.us
“Ending mass surveillance without probable cause”
Supports expanding HSAs and repealing federal health care mandates.
Healthcare
Campaign website · Shannon Bray for U.S. Senate · shannonbray.us
“Repealing top-down federal healthcare mandates … Expanding Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)”
Supports enforcing immigration laws and streamlining legal immigration.
Immigration & Borders
Campaign website · Shannon Bray for U.S. Senate · shannonbray.us
“Enforcing existing immigration laws … Streamlining legal immigration”
Supports requiring congressional authorization for military action.
Foreign Policy & Defense
Campaign website · Shannon Bray for U.S. Senate · shannonbray.us
“Requiring congressional authorization for military action”
Supports nuclear energy and ending market-distorting subsidies.
Energy & Environment
Campaign website · Shannon Bray for U.S. Senate · shannonbray.us
“Supporting nuclear and next-generation energy … Ending market-distorting subsidies”

Michael Whatley

Republican

Gaston County

The gist

Pledges to advance President Trump's America First agenda.
Pledges to restore law and order and back police.
Supports border security and deporting criminal immigrants here illegally.
Supports unleashing American energy to reach energy independence.
Pledges to defend Second Amendment rights.
Opposes what he calls radical woke ideology in schools.
Supports the Working Families Tax Cuts law Republicans passed.In office
Supports TrumpRx and most-favored-nation drug pricing.In office

In office = from the candidate's own official statements or legislation as an officeholder, not their campaign.

More about Michael

View sources (2)

Pledges to advance President Trump's America First agenda.
Michael's Plan for North Carolina (issues)
Campaign website · Whatley for Senate · michaelwhatley.com
“I am committed to advancing President Trump's America First agenda as the next U.S. Senator from North Carolina.”
Pledges to restore law and order and back police.
Michael's Plan for North Carolina (issues)
Campaign website · Whatley for Senate · michaelwhatley.com
“restore law and order, roll back dangerous and lenient Democrat policies, back the blue without apology, and put law-abiding North Carolinians first”
Supports border security and deporting criminal immigrants here illegally.
Michael's Plan for North Carolina (issues)
Campaign website · Whatley for Senate · michaelwhatley.com
“I am 100% supportive of President Trump securing the border and deporting the millions of criminal illegal aliens”
Supports unleashing American energy to reach energy independence.
Michael's Plan for North Carolina (issues)
Campaign website · Whatley for Senate · michaelwhatley.com
“By practicing fiscal responsibility and unleashing American energy, we can empower American workers, create good-paying jobs, achieve energy independence”
Pledges to defend Second Amendment rights.
Michael's Plan for North Carolina (issues)
Campaign website · Whatley for Senate · michaelwhatley.com
“From defending Second Amendment rights, to protecting life, supporting our law enforcement”
Opposes what he calls radical woke ideology in schools.
Michael's Plan for North Carolina (issues)
Campaign website · Whatley for Senate · michaelwhatley.com
“keeping radical woke ideology out of schools, I will fight night and day against the Left's agenda”
Supports the Working Families Tax Cuts law Republicans passed.
Michael Whatley Slams Roy Cooper's Soft-on-Crime Agenda and Record of Raising Costs at Republican Midterm Convention (remarks as prepared)
Public statement · Whatley for Senate · michaelwhatley.com
“Under President Trump's leadership, Republicans passed the Working Families Tax Cuts”
Supports TrumpRx and most-favored-nation drug pricing.
Michael Whatley Slams Roy Cooper's Soft-on-Crime Agenda and Record of Raising Costs at Republican Midterm Convention (remarks as prepared)
Public statement · Whatley for Senate · michaelwhatley.com
“Through TrumpRX and reinstating Most Favored Nation Status, Republicans have helped Americans to get their prescription drugs at the lowest possible cost.”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 10 issues covered in this race.