A new poll cited by multiple outlets shows former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) leading Republican challenger Michael Whatley in the state’s Senate race. The Fox News poll finds Cooper receiving 53% support among likely voters, compared with Whatley at 44%, giving Cooper a 9-point advantage. The poll is framed around voters’ preferences for the candidates who would replace retiring or departing incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis, though the available excerpts do not provide additional details about the polling methodology. The reporting characterizes the result as a lead for Cooper heading into the race, with the gap measured in percentage points based on the poll’s topline figures. While the excerpts reference Fox News as the source of the polling data, they do not include further findings such as favorability, voter turnout expectations, or demographic breakdowns. The only consistently reported figures across the provided sources are Cooper’s 53% versus Whatley’s 44% and the resulting 9-point lead.