New Catawba-YouGov Survey Finds Cooper Leads Whatley by 14 Points as Trump Remains Underwater in North Carolina

Democrats hold advantage on congressional and legislative ballot tests while Republican voters appear less Trump-centered than they were six months ago; North Carolinians remain opposed to the conflict with Iran.

President Donald Trump's approval remains underwater among North Carolinians—43 percent approve to 54 percent disapprove—and that political environment appears to be benefiting Democrats heading into the 2026 midterm elections, according to a new Catawba College–YouGov Survey.

This political environment indicates a traditional mid-term election, with Democratic candidates leading key ballots tests and half of the state’s independents currently supporting Democrat Roy Cooper in the open U.S. Senate race, providing him a double-digit lead over Republican Michael Whatley.

Among the 1,000 weighted respondents to the online survey, Trump’s approval and disapproval in June remains the same from March’s survey, when the president held a 42 percent approval to 55 percent disapproval.

Among the survey’s 905 weighted likely voters, Cooper received 48 percent to Whatley’s 34 percent, with 15 percent undecided at this point for November’s U.S. Senate election. These findings are consistent to the results from March’s survey, where Cooper lead by 15 points.

"Cooper's advantage is not simply a function of Democratic support," said Dr. Michael Bitzer, director of Catawba College's Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service, which wrote and paid for the survey. "His lead is being driven by independents, who currently support him by more than two-to-one over Whatley. That independent vote can often be a decisive factor in statewide North Carolina elections."

“In addition, this year appears to be setting up as a classic mid-term environment: a referendum on the president and his party. Cooper has a commanding portion of those North Carolinians who disapprove of the president, which is a majority of likely voters so far.”

The online survey was conducted by YouGov of 1,000 weighted North Carolinians from June 1 to 10, 2026, and has an overall margin of error of +/-3.83 percent; subgroups will have a higher margin of error. All survey results should be viewed as informative and not determinative.

To read more about the survey's findings on the U.S. Senate horserace, legislative generic ballots, the continued conflict with Iran, a significant shift among North Carolina Republicans when it comes to support for Trump vs. the Party, and which political party may control Congress after November's elections, see the following:

• Substack version
• Webpage version

Upcoming releases from the June 2026 Catawba-YouGov Survey will focus on:

• North Carolinians' opinions on the Declaration of Independence as the country prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary
• How North Carolinians view the issue of affordability
• What concerns North Carolinians have regarding the potential for political violence and when candidates transgress against democratic norms and values