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Wiley Nickel exits NC Senate race as Democrats pin hopes on Roy Cooper

By Emily Hallas July 29, 2025 | updated 1 week ago

Former Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel on Tuesday pulled out of the race to replace outgoing Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) after former Gov. Roy Cooper announced plans to seek the Democratic nomination for North Carolina’s highly competitive open Senate seat.

With Cooper widely viewed as Democrats’ best bet of flipping the swing seat, Nickel declined to mount a primary challenge against him, choosing instead to suspend his campaign and endorse the two-term governor’s bid for office.

“I’ve seen firsthand his steady, bipartisan leadership. He listens, he shows up, and he gets things done,” said Nickel, a former state senator whose career included a job in former President Barack Obama’s administration. “And for so many of us, including me, he’s been an inspiration to step up and serve.”

Nickel, a one-term congressman who won a 2022 race in a swing district, launched his Senate campaign in April with the promise to challenge President Donald Trump’s agenda.

However, Cooper has long been viewed as the Democrats’ dream candidate as the party faces steep odds in taking back a Senate majority during the 2026 elections. His decision on Monday to enter the race drew cheers from allies, who declared the former governor’s campaign announcement a “gamechanger.”

Cooper was “the most successful democratic statewide official that has been able to govern and get elected in a purple state that’s center-right, that Trump won three times,” said Douglas Wilson, a Democratic strategist based in North Carolina.

Among the Democrats who have lined up behind Cooper is Attorney General Jeff Jackson, who was viewed as a possible primary challenger to Cooper before endorsing him earlier this month.

“I know a guy from Nash County who has been a faithful public servant and would be a strong candidate for North Carolina,” Jackson said during an interview with WRAL News.

At the time, Nickel also praised Cooper, explaining that he launched his Senate campaign because “it’s not in my bones to sit on the sidelines.” 

“I’ve got nothing but good things to say about Roy Cooper,” Nickel said. “He was a great governor, and I worked closely with him in the state Senate. But things are urgent right now, and it’s not in my bones to sit on the sidelines. The fight is happening right now, and I’m the only Democrat in the race.”

The former congressman is rumored to be considering a bid for district attorney in Wake County after dropping his bid for the upper chamber.

Nickel quipped this week that his entrance into the race was the fuel Tillis needed to get off the sidelines.

WHERE THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL SENATE RACES OF 2026 ARE HEADED

“We started this campaign to send Thom Tillis packing. Well, mission accomplished, I guess!” Nickel said. “I look forward to doing everything I can to help [Cooper] flip this Senate seat from red to blue.”

Cooper will face a likely challenge from Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley as both parties gear up for one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country. Whatley, who enjoys  Trump’s “complete and total” blessing, is expected to launch his campaign in the coming days.

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Emily Hallas

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