Image: Roy Cooper in Raleigh in 2019 - U.S. Army / Staff Sgt. Mary Junell, public domain- Planned Parenthood Action Fund lists Roy Cooper, NC-Sen on its 2026 endorsed candidates page.
- The Hill, syndicated by AOL, reported the group rolled out its first Senate endorsements on January 22, 2026.
- PBS/AP identifies Cooper as a former two-term North Carolina governor running for the open U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis.
What happened
Planned Parenthood Action Fund has endorsed former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper in the 2026 U.S. Senate race in North Carolina.
The group's endorsements page lists Cooper under North Carolina as Roy Cooper, NC-Sen. The endorsement places Cooper alongside other Democratic Senate candidates backed by the reproductive-rights group in the 2026 cycle.
What the source says
The Planned Parenthood Action Fund page says the organization is proud to endorse candidates for U.S. Senate and House races in 2026. Under North Carolina, it lists Cooper for the Senate race and also lists Deborah Ross, Valerie Foushee and Alma Adams for House seats.
The Hill report, published through AOL on January 22, 2026, says Planned Parenthood Action Fund's first Senate endorsements included Cooper in North Carolina, Sen. Jon Ossoff in Georgia, Rep. Chris Pappas in New Hampshire and former Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio.
The Hill quoted Planned Parenthood Action Fund President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson framing the endorsements around abortion rights and broader health care access. NoDechev is treating that as the group's stated rationale, not as an independent finding about any candidate or opponent.
Why North Carolina matters
PBS NewsHour, carrying an Associated Press report, said Cooper announced his Senate run on July 28, 2025, and described him as a former two-term governor and a proven statewide winner in North Carolina.
The race is for the seat of retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. PBS/AP reported that Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley planned to seek the GOP nomination with President Donald Trump's endorsement, according to people familiar with his thinking at the time.
The Hill/AOL report said the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rated the Georgia and North Carolina Senate seats as toss-ups, with Ohio rated lean Republican and New Hampshire lean Democratic.
Image: North Carolina State Capitol in Raleigh - Farragutful / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
What is confirmed
Confirmed: Planned Parenthood Action Fund lists Roy Cooper as an endorsed 2026 U.S. Senate candidate in North Carolina.
Confirmed: The Hill/AOL reported the endorsement rollout on January 22, 2026, the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision.
Confirmed: PBS/AP reported Cooper is a former Democratic governor seeking the open North Carolina Senate seat after Tillis chose not to run for a third term.
What is not confirmed
The endorsement does not by itself show how much money, field support, advertising or voter contact Planned Parenthood Action Fund will put into the North Carolina race.
It also does not establish the likely winner of the race. The public source record supports describing North Carolina as competitive and closely watched, not settled.
Why it matters
Endorsements from national reproductive-rights groups can signal where advocacy organizations expect abortion and health care access to be central campaign issues. In North Carolina, that matters because the Senate race is already being framed by both parties as one of the cycle's major contests.
For Cooper, the Planned Parenthood Action Fund endorsement adds to a broader reproductive-rights endorsement trail. Reproductive Freedom for All announced Cooper in its first slate of 2026 frontline Senate endorsements on December 9, 2025.
What to watch next
Watch whether Planned Parenthood Action Fund follows the endorsement with spending, field organizing or targeted messaging in North Carolina.
Also watch how Cooper, Whatley and outside groups frame abortion, Medicaid, health care costs and Senate control as the race moves from endorsement announcements into paid media and voter-contact operations.