Election 2026: Cooper vs. Whatley expensive but far below earlier forecasts
Conservative estimates place total spending in the Cooper–Whatley U.S. Senate race at $164.3 million, well below earlier projections of $500 million to $1 billion.
Conservative estimates show $164.3 million has been spent so far in North Carolina’s 2026 U.S. Senate contest between Cooper and Whatley. That total is far short of earlier projections that anticipated between $500 million and $1 billion in spending.