(The Center Square) – Formal filing to win a seat in the U.S. Senate is done for Republican Michael Whatley and awaited for Democrat Roy Cooper.
Whatley joined a field of two others for the Super Tuesday primary on March 3. No Democrats have filed, and the former two-term governor from Nash County is likely to be the only one. Cooper’s lead in polling over Whatley was 47.3%-39.1% in the most recent released Nov. 13 by the Carolina Journal in conjunction with Harper Polling.
Elizabeth Temple and Don Brown are the other candidates from the Grand Old Party trying to succeed two-term Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis.
North Carolinians this year will choose a U.S. senator, all 14 U.S. House representatives, one state Supreme Court judge and three appellate justices. All 170 seats in the General Assembly – 50 in the Senate, 120 in the House of Representatives – are also on the ballot. There are no statewide referenda.
Only presidential cycle years have longer ballots for the more than 7.6 million voters in the nation’s ninth largest state.
No incumbents at the U.S. House of Representatives filed on Tuesday. Four challengers joined the eight who filed on Monday. Republican Reps. Chuck Edwards (11th Congressional District) and Richard Hudson (9th Congressional District) and Democratic Rep. Valerie Foushee (4th Congressional District) are the incumbents already filed.
Incumbent Democrats John Arrowood (Seat 1) and Toby Hampson (Seat 2) filed Monday for the state Court of Appeals. Democrat Allegra Collins (Seat 3) said earlier this year she would not seek reelection to the 15-member panel.
Democrats James Whalen and Christine Walczyk are hoping to succeed Collins. Republican Craig Collins filed for the seat on Tuesday.
Thus far, Arrowood has a challenger in Republican Matt Smith.
Filing ends at noon on Dec. 19.
