In his first public event after news of his impending Senate campaign broke, former Governor Roy Cooper asked everyone in the audience planning to run for office in 2026 to please stand for a round of applause.

Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper Saturday night gave his strongest indication yet that he would seek an open U.S. Senate seat next year while speaking at a state Democratic Party event in Raleigh.

North Carolina will be at the center of the 2026 midterm elections, with a marquee U.S. Senate race that’s expected to attract big names given the high stakes for the balance of power in the federal government.