Democratic Senate Candidate Breaks Fundraising Record, Gives First Interview to Podcaster

Roy Cooper, the leading Democrat running for the open U.S. Senate seat in North Carolina, raked in a record $3.4 million in donations in the first 24 hours after launching his campaign.

Cooper, a former two-term governor who has won six statewide races in North Carolina, announced he would run for the Senate on Monday morning. Cooper’s entering the race was widely seen as a win for Democrats as he was their first-choice recruit for what is likely to be one of the key races in 2026.

His campaign told Politico that it raised “more than $2.6 million raised directly to Cooper’s campaign account, with 95 percent of those donations totaling $100 or less, according to his team. The former governor raised another $900,000 into joint fundraising committees with the party, which allows for bigger contributions.”

As a sign of the times, Cooper’s first media interview after announcing his candidacy was with progressive podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen. He later made the rounds on more traditional media, with a primetime interview with Rachel Maddow.

Cooper will likely face Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley in the race to replace outgoing Senator Thom Tillis (R-SC), who announced his retirement earlier this month after a spat with President Donald Trump over cuts to Medicaid. Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, announced earlier in the month she would not enter the race, despite Trump’s very public backing to do so.

Cooper broke the Democratic Party’s record held by failed Kentucky candidate Amy McGrath in 2020, who brought in $2.5 million after launching her bid to unseat Sen. Mitch McConnell (R–KY).

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