North Carolina Voters 50+ Could Help Decide the 2026 U.S. Senate Race

A 2026 AARP North Carolina voter survey finds that voters 50 and older could play a major role in the state’s 2026 elections. Eighty-three percent of voters 50-plus rate their motivation to vote as a 10 out of 10, compared with 66% of voters under age 50. In the U.S. Senate race, Roy Cooper leads Michael Whatley among all likely voters, 53% to 42%, with 5% undecided. Among voters 50-plus, Whatley leads 51% to 45%. 

The survey shows that financial security and health-related issues are central to voting decisions among voters 50-plus. Eighty-three percent say Social Security is important when deciding their vote, while 77% say Medicare is important. The survey also finds that 93% are more likely to support a candidate who would make sure workers receive the Social Security benefits they earned, and 84% are more likely to support a candidate who would expand Medicare’s ability to negotiate prescription drug prices. 

Affordability is the top issue for North Carolina voters 50-plus, followed by threats to democracy, then Social Security and Medicare. Groceries and gasoline are the leading concerns about rising prices and affordability, followed by health care and utility costs. 

The survey also highlights views on local affordability issues. Eighty percent of voters 50-plus agree that state policymakers should work to ensure residential utility customers do not pay the costs of serving new large data centers, and 69% are concerned that data center expansion will raise electric utility prices. Seventy-four percent support requiring local communities to permit more accessory dwelling units (ADUs), while 62% support capping corporate and institutional ownership of single-family rental homes. 

The findings also show a strong interest in policies affecting family caregivers. Among voters 50-plus, 73% say they would be more likely to support a candidate who backs paid leave for unpaid family caregivers, 73% say the same about a caregiver tax credit, and 72% say they would be more likely to support a candidate who provides assistance to caregivers helping loved ones live independently at home. 

More than half (56%) of North Carolina voters age 50-plus say Social Security is currently or will be a major source of household income. The survey also finds that 49% of voters 50-plus identify as current or former family caregivers, underscoring the relevance of retirement security and caregiving issues for the state’s older electorate. 

Methodology

AARP commissioned the bipartisan polling team of Fabrizio Ward (R) and Impact Research (D) to survey North Carolina voters. The survey interviewed 1,115 likely voters statewide from September 17 to 20, 2026. Interviews were conducted via live interviewer on cellphone (40%) and landline (15%), as well as SMS-to-web (45%). The sample was randomly drawn from the North Carolina voter list. The source materials do not include a separate weighting statement.

For more information, contact Kate Bridges at kbridges@aarp.org. For North Carolina media inquiries, contact Steve Hahn at shahn@aarp.org. For national media inquiries, contact AARP External Relations at media@aarp.org.