Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) has an early lead over Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley in the state’s Senate race as the candidates appear poised for a general election matchup.

The Emerson College Polling survey, released Friday, shows Cooper leading Whatley by 6 points, 47 percent to 41 percent, with 12 percent undecided. The former governor also starts out with a considerable advantage in name recognition, with 84 percent having a view — either favorable or unfavorable — of him while only a third seemed to have a view of the RNC chief.

“With over a year to go........

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